Mtshweni returns as premier of Mpumalanga after being appointed to the position in 2018. She replaced deputy president, David Mabuza, who left the post to fulfill his role as the country’s number 2.
Mtshweni’s first appointment took many by surprise and was met with mixed emotions because she didn’t have a high political profile. She has never served in any provincial executive structure of the ANC, but is said to have been active in the party’s youth wing in the Nkangala region. She has, however, worked in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature – as the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
Mtshweni is the first female premier of Mpumalanga and is expected to succeed Mabuza as the ANC provincial chairperson when an elective conference is held some time this year. The 46-year-old has a human resources diploma and a leadership and governance certificate from Wits University.
Watch a report on Mtshweni when she was first sworn in as premier of Mpumalanga in 2018:
