Staff Reporter
BLOEMFONTEIN – The long-awaited Executive Council (EXCO) reshuffle in the Free State Provincial Government is finally underway, with Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae making sweeping changes to her Cabinet.
The reshuffle follows Step Up SA News’ report published on 28 April 2026, which revealed a plot to remove then-MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Zanele Sifuba.
Step Up SA News can now confirm that Sifuba has been removed from the provincial executive and will be joined by, Mathabo Leeto, in the streets.
Nolitha Ndungane and an ANC Youth League leader are to appointed to the provincial executive, marking one of the key changes in Premier Mathae’s latest Cabinet reshuffle.
Insiders say Polediso “50 000 Jobs For The Youth” Motsoeneneng Provincial Secretary and Mxolisi Dukwana Provincial Chairman are at Luthuli House to block this reshuffle but it’s as good as done.
Meanwhile, MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Ketso Makume, will be redeployed to head the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. Dibolelo Mance will take over the Social Development portfolio.
The reshuffle seems like a strategic move by Premier Mathae to consolidate her influence ahead of the ANC’s upcoming provincial conference where she aims to contest the chairperson position.
The changes are to strengthen a faction aligned with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
Despite speculation that more changes were imminent, Sulky Mokoena and Jabu Mbalula have retained their respective portfolios.
Mokoena’s Human Settlements appointed a Middleburg based company with an fraudulent lease that got backdated.
While Mbalula’s fingerprint are in the R372 million tender awarded to Tau Pele Construction.
This is a developing story.
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