Johannesburg. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has gone on sick leave and has appointed Education and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Lebogang Maile as Acting Premier, the provincial government said on Thursday.
Short handover to maintain running of the province
The appointment took effect on Thursday, 3 September 2026 and is scheduled to run until Tuesday, 8 September 2026, the provincial statement said. It added the arrangement was made in line with the Constitution and is intended to allow the Premier to recover while the provincial administration continues to function.
“During this period, Acting Premier Lebogang Maile will assume all the duties, authority and obligations of the Office of the Premier to ensure the continued and smooth running of the Gauteng Provincial Government,” the statement said.
Maile will temporarily take on the full responsibilities of the provincial executive, after which he is expected to return to his MEC portfolios when Lesufi resumes his duties, subject to the Premier’s recovery.
Context and recent pattern
The move follows a similar arrangement less than a month earlier when another MEC, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, served as Acting Premier while Lesufi was on sick leave. Maile is a long-standing member of the Gauteng executive and has previously held a number of portfolios; he currently oversees the province’s education, sports, arts, culture and recreation functions.
While the statement did not specify the nature of Lesufi’s illness, it emphasised that the temporary appointment aims to preserve continuity in governance and service delivery across the province.
What this means for residents
For ordinary residents of Gauteng, the handover is primarily administrative: the acting premier will exercise the powers of the Office of the Premier so decisions requiring that authority can proceed without delay. That includes statutory responsibilities that affect provincial departments and public services.
- Duration: 3–8 September 2026 (appointment effective from 3 September)
- Acting Premier: Lebogang Maile (MEC for Education and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation)
- Reason: Premier on sick leave; arrangement to allow recovery while ensuring government continues to function
Administrative and political notes
The provincial government said the decision was taken under Section 131(1)(a) and Section 13 of the Constitution. Those constitutional provisions outline how executive authority may be exercised within provincial government structures when the incumbent is temporarily unable to perform the duties of office.
Appointments of acting premiers are routine mechanisms in South African provincial governance. Still, they attract public and political attention when they recur in quick succession, as has been the case this year in Gauteng. The province is the country’s economic hub; seamless leadership is important for policy continuity and coordination with national departments and metros such as Johannesburg and Tshwane.
What we know — at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Acting Premier | Lebogang Maile |
| Original Officeholder | Panyaza Lesufi |
| Effective dates | 3 September — 8 September 2026 |
| Legal basis | Sections 131(1)(a) and 13 of the Constitution |
Officials circulated the appointment notice on social media. A post from the Gauteng Provincial Government on the platform X confirmed Maile’s acting role and restated the government’s position that the arrangement was necessary while the Premier recuperates.
As a working journalist in Johannesburg, I will monitor any statements from the Premier’s office about his health and will report on any decisions or directives that come from the Acting Premier’s office during this period. For now, the province says service delivery and executive functions will continue uninterrupted under Maile’s stewardship.
