Dikgang Uhuru Moiloa has taken up the baton as the new MEC for the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).
The new MEC, who was welcomed by the Head of Department, Thandeka Mbassa, on Monday, was sworn in by High Court Judge-President Dunstan Mlambo on Friday.
“We are honoured and privileged to receive [you] MEC at this time when we are dealing with several issues relating to local governance and also the traditional leadership in the province. We are also in full swing preparing for the next general elections, come 2019. With your leadership, experience and guidance MEC, we will take our mandate levels to greater progression indeed,” said HOD Mbassa.
Moila replaces Paul Mashatile as the new MEC following Mashatile’s election as Treasurer General of the African National Congress (ANC) in December 2017.
“We are confident that MEC Moiloa will continue with the work set in motion by his predecessor, such as dealing with, amongst others, serious challenges currently faced by some struggling municipalities in the province,” said Mbassa.
Moiloa’s most recent portfolio was that of Deputy Speaker for the Gauteng Province Legislature.
The new MEC Moiloa has served in several positions within the ANC since the early 1990s where he was the ANC West Rand Sub-region Chairperson, Secretary and later Regional Treasurer.
He also worked as the Regional Elections Manager, ANC Provincial Research and Policy Coordinator and a member of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee.
From 1994 to 2005 he was Coordinator of the Elections Department of the ANC West Rand and in 2006 he was deployed as ANC Gauteng Provincial Elections Coordinator.
Moiloa was one of the founding members of the Congress for SA Students (COSAS) in 1979 and later became an active member of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
He is also a former Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) combatant and was detained and tortured by the former apartheid regime.
A Member of the Legislature since 1999, Moiloa has held such positions as Party Whip and Chairperson of the Public Participation and Petitions Committee.
In 2007, he was deployed as Chairperson of the Economic Development Committee. In 2009 after the elections, he was again deployed as the Chairperson of Committees in the Gauteng Legislature.
Moiloa’s studies include Micro and Macro Economics, Public Economics and Finance and Project Management.
“Hon Moiloa has completed an advanced course in Public Policy and Development Management with the University of Stellenbosch and is currently enrolled for an Honours programme in Public and Development Management,” the department said.
He is also studying for an advanced programme in Economics and Public Finance with the University of South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za
