Sasekani Janet Manzini (born 13 May 1979) is a South African politician who currently serves as the MEC for Health in the Mpumalanga provincial government, appointed in July 2018 as well as the Provincial

spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

of the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

(ANC) in

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It ...

. She was elected to serve on the ANC's provincial executive committee (PEC) in December 2015 from the position of provincial

African National Congress Youth League The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC). As set out in its constitution, the ANC Youth League is led by a National Executive Committee (NEC) and a National Working Committee (NW ...

(ANCYL) secretary. Manzini served as the MEC for the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport from August 2016 to July 2018. She has been a member of the

Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature The Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature (MPL), previously known as the Eastern Transvaal Legislature, is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Mpumalanga. The First Legislature was inaugurated in May 1994 as the Eastern Tr ...

since February 2016.

Early life

Manzini was born on 13 May 1979 in the Madras Village outside

Bushbuckridge Bushbuckridge (also known as Mapulaneng) is the main town in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga, South Africa. It grew around a trading store that opened in 1884, and is named after the large herds of bushbuck found ...

in the former

Transvaal Province The Province of the Transvaal ( af, Provinsie van Transvaal), commonly referred to as the Transvaal (; ), was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994, when a new constitution subdivided it following the end of apartheid. The name "Trans ...

, now

. She attended Orhovelani High School. She later obtained post-matric certificates in marketing and municipal governance.

Political career

Manzini joined the ANC and its youth league while in her youth. She was elected a municipal councillor of the

Bushbuckridge Local Municipality Bushbuckridge Local Municipality is a Local municipality in the Ehlanzeni District of Mpumalanga in South Africa. Commercial farming, which consists of pine /bluegum plantations, tobacco, cotton, sub-tropical fruits and vegetables is practised ...

and served as a member of the mayoral committee (MMC). She was later elected provincial secretary of the ANC youth league in Mpumalanga. She was sworn in as a member of the

in February 2016. In August 2016, Premier

David Mabuza David Dabede "DD" Mabuza (born 25 August 1960) is a South African politician who has been Deputy President of South Africa since February 2018. He was the Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC) from December 2017 to December 2022 ...

appointed her as the MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport. Manzini was made the new Health MEC by Premier

Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane Refilwe Maria Tsipane (born 3 September 1973), known as Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane (alternatively spelt Mtshweni), is a South African politician and a party member of the African National Congress (ANC), who has been serving as the 5th Premier of ...

in July 2018 when the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) made a string of complaints about the performance of then Health MEC Gillion Mashego, who was made the new Public Works MEC. Manzini returned to the post of Health MEC after the May 2019 South African elections when Mtsweni-Tsipane was voted to continue as

Premier of Mpumalanga The Premier of Mpumalanga is the head of government of Mpumalanga province in South Africa. The current Premier of Mpumalanga is Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, a member of the African National Congress, who was appointed in March 2018. She took of ...

. Manzini was also elected to her first full term as MPL.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Manzini, Sasekani Living people 1979 births People from Mpumalanga People from Bushbuckridge African National Congress politicians 21st-century South African politicians 21st-century South African women politicians Members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature Women members of provincial legislatures of South Africa