Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul has accepted the resignation of Fufe Makatong as the provincial MEC for Public Works and Roads and announced a reshuffle of the provincial Executive Council that will see four new MEC appointments.
Changes to the Executive Council
According to the Premier’s office, the reshuffle follows consultations and is intended to maintain momentum in the province’s development agenda. The announced appointments are:
- Bentley Vass – MEC responsible for Roads and Public Works
- Lebogang Motlhaping – MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs
- Newreen Klaaste – MEC responsible for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform
- Mirriam Kibi – MEC in the Premier’s Office, responsible for Children, Women, Youth and Persons living with Disabilities
The Premier expressed appreciation for Makatong’s service to the people of the Northern Cape during her tenure as a member of the Executive Council and wished her well in future endeavours.
“These changes take place at an important time for the Northern Cape, as the province continues to make significant progress in growing its economy, creating employment and improving the lives of its people,” the Premier said.
Context: employment gains and ongoing challenges
Dr Saul highlighted recent labour-market data to stress the importance of continuity in government programmes. He cited the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2026, saying the Northern Cape’s unemployment rate stands at 28.7%. That figure represents a 1.7 percentage-point decrease from the previous quarter and a 4 percentage-point decline compared with the same quarter in 2025.
While the Premier described the decline as the largest in the country for that quarter, he also acknowledged that significant work remains to ensure economic growth benefits are felt more broadly, particularly among young people.
What the reshuffle means for provincial priorities
The portfolio moves assign responsibility for infrastructure, human settlements, agriculture and social inclusion to the newly appointed MECs. Those portfolios are central to the province’s stated priorities of economic growth, job creation and social support. The Premier framed the changes as aligning leadership across departments to sustain momentum in key areas:
- Transport and infrastructure delivery through Roads and Public Works;
- Municipal oversight and housing via Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs;
- Rural development, land reform and environmental stewardship under Agriculture and Environmental Affairs;
- Programmes for children, women, youth and persons with disabilities coordinated from the Premier’s Office.
At the same time, the Premier reiterated the need to target persistent youth unemployment and to ensure that economic expansion translates into sustainable work across the province’s towns and rural areas.
Summary of new appointments
| Appointee | Portfolio |
|---|---|
| Bentley Vass | Roads and Public Works |
| Lebogang Motlhaping | Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs |
| Newreen Klaaste | Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform |
| Mirriam Kibi | MEC in the Premier’s Office for Children, Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities |
Practical implications and next steps
The Premier indicated the reshuffle will take effect immediately. Departments affected by the changes will need to manage administrative handovers while maintaining service delivery to communities across the Northern Cape. Implementation will require coordinated efforts between the incoming MECs, senior departmental officials and municipal partners.
Local stakeholders, including municipal leaders and civil-society organisations, will be watching how the new appointees translate policy commitments into visible outcomes on infrastructure projects, housing delivery, agricultural support and social services.
The Premier’s announcement couples personnel change with an upbeat economic narrative, but it also underscores the Provincial Government’s strategic challenge: converting headline improvements in unemployment into inclusive, long-term opportunities for young people and rural households across the province.
Further information on the reshuffle and any provincial statements or subsequent interviews with the new MECs will be released by the Premier’s office in due course.
