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Sekhopi Molisaotsile Andrew Malebo (born 5 April 1960) is a South African politician and former anti-apartheid activist from the Free State. He was the Free State's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Public Works, Roads and Transport from 1997 to 2004. Before that, he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1994 to 1996.

Early life and activism

Malebo was born on 5 April 1960 and is Tswana-speaking. He became politically active as a high school student in Bloemfontein in the aftermath of the 1976 Soweto uprising, particularly through the Bloemfontein Student League, which at the time was heavily influenced by Black Consciousness. He later said that he converted from Black Consciousness ideology to the Charterist tradition around 1979, when he was first exposed to the illegal Freedom Charter, which he greatly admired.

He subsequently became involved in Charterist civic associations in Bloemfontein, as well as in political organising through the Lutheran Church, and he made contact with the ANC during a visit to Sweden in 1981. In later years, he was president of the youth desk of the South African Council of Churches, to which his church was affiliated; he also held leadership positions in the Mangaung Civic Association.

After the ANC was unbanned in 1990 during the negotiations to end apartheid, Malebo formally joined the organisation and became a member of its interim leadership corps in the Orange Free State. In November 1991, he was elected as chairperson of the ANC's regional branch in the Southern Orange Free State.

Legislative career: 1994–2004

Malebo was elected to an ANC seat in the National Assembly in South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994. In 1996, he left his seat to join the Free State Provincial Legislature, where he was sworn in on 18 December. He was also appointed as MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport in Premier Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri's Executive Council. He was elected to a full term in the provincial legislature in the 1999 general election and was retained as MEC by Matsepe-Casaburri's successor, Premier Winkie Direko.

In the 2004 general election, the ANC nominated Malebo to return to the National Assembly, but he was ranked 14th on the regional party list for the Free State and narrowly failed to gain re-election. He was succeeded as MEC by Seiso Mohai.

Later career

After leaving legislative politics in 2004, Malebo pursued a business career. In 2020, he co-organised a march on ANC headquarters at Luthuli House, demanding the dismissal of Ace Magashule and "other delinquents that have been involved in corruption in the province during tenure as premier".

References

1. ^ "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
2. ^ Högberg, Bertil (15 July 2005). "Interviews: Sekopi Malebo". The Nordic Africa Institute. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
3. ^ Chitja Twala (2010). "Activists networks and political protest in the Free State, 1983-1990". The Road to Democracy in South Africa, Vol. 4 (1980-1990). UNISA Press. pp. 765–813. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
4. "Southern OFS conference" (PDF). Mayibuye. 2 (11): 5. 1991.
5. South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994. International Republican Institute. 1994. Retrieved 13 April 2023 – via Yumpu.
6. Twala, Chitja (1 January 2005). "The demon of factionalism in an African National Congress (ANC)-led Free State Province (1994-2004): a reality?". Journal for Contemporary History. 30 (3): 109–131. hdl:10520/EJC28366.
7. "Sekhopi Malebo". Who's Who of Southern Africa. Ken Donaldson. 2005. p. 1994.
8. "Direko axes three MECs". News24. 29 June 2001. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
9. "General Notice: List of registered parties and final lists of candidates submitted for the election of the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures on 14 April 2004" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 29 March 2004. p. 48. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
10. "Marshoff names new Free State council". IOL. 3 May 2004. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
11. "Free State branches gun for Ace". The Mail & Guardian. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2023.

• 1960 births
• Living people
• South African Tswana people
• African National Congress politicians
• Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1994–1999
• Members of the Free State Provincial Legislature
• South African anti-apartheid activists
• 21st-century South African politicians