Montseng Margaret Tsiu is a South African politician, trade unionist and nurse who served as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health in the Free State provincial government from May 2018 until March 2023. She was sworn in as a Member of the

Free State Provincial Legislature The Free State Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Free State. It is unicameral in its composition, and elects the premier and the executive council from among the members of the leading party ...

for the African National Congress in April 2018. Tsiu is the former provincial chairperson of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union and the former director of nursing in the Free State government.

Early life and education

She acquired an Overseas School Certificate through the St Catherine College in Maseru,

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

. She later earned a diploma in general nursing and a diploma in midwifery from the School of Nursing in Maseru. Tsiu obtained a diploma in Community Nursing Science from the University of the Free State before receiving a post-graduate diploma in Public Management at the Regenesys Business School.

Political career

Tsiu served as the chairperson of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union in the Free State for nine years and was a member of the union's National Executive Committee (NEC). She was also a member of the Provincial Executive Committee of the African National Congress. Tsiu stood unsuccessfully for the

on the ANC list in the 2014 election.

Free State provincial government

Tsiu is the former director of nursing in the Free State Department of Health. She became an ANC member of the Free State Legislature on 23 April 2018, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of

William Bulwane Kwekwe William Bulwane is a South African politician serving as the Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport since October 2021. He had previously served as the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development. He has been a Member of the Free St ...

who had been sworn in two weeks earlier. Shortly afterwards, Tsiu was appointed to the

Executive Council of the Free State The Executive Council (South Africa), Executive Council of the Free State is the cabinet of the executive branch of the Provincial governments of South Africa, provincial government in the South African Provinces of South Africa, province of the ...

led by premier

Sisi Ntombela Sefora Hixsonia "Sisi" Ntombela (born 16 April 1957) is a South African politician who is the 6th Premier of the Free State and a Member of the Free State Provincial Legislature. She previously served as the Free State MEC for Cooperative Govern ...

; she took over the health portfolio from Butana Komphela who had been moved to the Social Development portfolio. NEHAWU welcomed her appointment. In the

2019 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2019. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems has a calendar of upcoming elections around the world, and the National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections in coun ...

, Tsiu was elected to her first full term in the provincial legislature. Ntombela announced her new executive council shortly after her swearing-in and Tsiu was re-appointed as MEC for Health. Tsiu led the provincial government's response against the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, Tsiu and Dr David Motau welcomed 17 Cuban doctors to the Free State to assist the province in dealing with the pandemic. In November 2022, Tsiu expressed her support for

pit bulls Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

to be removed from Free State communities after a three-year-old boy was mauled to death by two dogs, including a pit bull, in Hennenman. On 14 March 2023, newly elected Free State premier

Mxolisi Dukwana Mxolisi Dukwana is a South African politician who has been the 7th Premier of the Free State since his election in February 2023. Prior to his election, he served in the Free State Executive Council as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) fo ...

named his executive council following Ntombela's resignation in February; former MEC Mathabo Leeto was appointed to succeed Tsiu.

Personal life

In October 2020, Tsiu and premier Ntombela both tested positive for COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.

References

External links

Profile
at Free State Department of Health {{DEFAULTSORT:Tsiu, Montseng Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Sotho people South African nurses African National Congress politicians Members of the Free State Provincial Legislature 21st-century South African politicians 21st-century South African women politicians