Raesetja Jane Sithole (born 23 August 1970) is a South African politician who currently serves as Deputy Minister of Small Business Development in Government of National Unity (GNU) since June 2024.[1] She served as a Member of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature since May 2014 and as a Provincial Leader of the Mpumalanga Democratic Alliance.[2][3]
Jane Sithole | |
|---|---|
 Sithole in 2024 | |
| Deputy Minister of Small Business Development | |
| Assumed office 3 July 2024 | |
| Minister | Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams |
| Preceded by | Dipuo Peters |
| Leader of the Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga | |
| Assumed office 3 March 2018 | |
| Preceded by | James Masango |
| Member of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Raesetja Jane Sithole 23 August 1970 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | Democratic Alliance |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Party |
| Profession | Politician |
Education
editSithole achieved a BA Degree in Communications from the University of South Africa. Sithole also holds a National Diploma (T3) in Office Administration from the Tshwane University of Technology. She also obtained a Diploma in Political Leadership and Governance from the Wits School of Governance. She further obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Political Leadership and Governance from the Wits School of Governance. Sithole also obtained a Management Development Programme (MDP) certificate from the Graduate School of Management at the University of Pretoria. She also obtained a Senior Management Programme (SMP) certificate from the Graduate School of Management at the University of Pretoria.
Political career
editSithole joined the Democratic Alliance, previously known as the Democratic Party, in 1999.[4] Sithole had served as a councillor of both the Emalahleni Local Municipality and the Nkangala District Municipality from 2000 until 2014. Sithole served as Chief Whip of Emalahleni Caucus from 2007 up to 2014.
She was elected to the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature in 2014 and was appointed to the position of Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance caucus. In the fifth provincial legislature (2014–2019), she served on the Public Works & Transport, Community Safety, Security & Liaison, Health, and Social Development committees in the legislature. She currently sits on the Health and Social Development, and Education, Culture, Sport and Recreation committees.
Before being elected Provincial Leader, Sithole served as Provincial Chairperson for the Association of Democratic Alliance Councillors (ADAC) from 2005 to 2011. Sithole was elected to the position of Provincial Deputy Leader in 2012 until 2015. In 2015 Sithole was elected to the position of Provincial Chairperson of the party.[5] Sithole was elected unopposed as the Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga on 3 March 2018, succeeding James Masango.[6][7]
On 20 September 2018, Sithole was announced as the Democratic Alliance's Mpumalanga Premier candidate for the 2019 election.[8][9]
In the May 2019 election, the Provincial Democratic Alliance lost its official opposition status to the Economic Freedom Fighters, though the party did manage to retain all three of its seats in the provincial legislature.[10]
Sithole was re-elected unopposed as provincial leader in October 2020.[11] She supported interim DA leader John Steenhuisen's campaign to become leader of the party for a full term at the party's Federal Congress.[12]
Sithole was re-elected to another term as the party's provincial leader at the provincial congress in February 2023,[13] and served as the Leader of the Democratic Alliance Caucus in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature from 2018 to 2024.
On the 14th of June 2024, she was sworn in a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance.
References
edit- ^ Meet the new cabinet, Sowetan, 30 June 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024
- ^ De Villiers, Mireille. Woman set to lead the DA in Mpumalanga for the first time. Lowvelder. 23 January 2018. Retrieved on 27 December 2018.
- ^ Jane Sithole now heads Mpumalanga DA leadership. Ridge Times. 9 March 2018. Retrieved on 27 December 2018.
- ^ New DA leader weeps when recalling how Koos Venter supported her, 013News, 5 March 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2020
- ^ New DA leader elected for Mpumalanga. Lowvelder. 10 March 2015. Retrieved on 8 March 2019.
- ^ Jane Sithole MPL. Democratic Alliance. Retrieved on 27 December 2018.
- ^ Mpande, Bridget. Jane Sithole is the new DA leader in Mpumalanga. The Citizen. 3 March 2018. Retrieved on 27 December 2018.
- ^ Sithole and McGluwa to lead DA campaign for change in Mpumalanga and North West. Democratic Alliance. Retrieved on 27 December 2018.
- ^ Motloung, Neo. Sithole announced as DA's premier candidate for Mpumalanga, JacarandaFM. 20 September 2019. Retrieved on 27 December 2018.
- ^ EFF official opposition in Mpumalanga Archived 18 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Johannesburg. eNCA. 11 May 2019. Retrieved on 11 May 2019.
- ^ "Jane Sithole re-elected as Mpumalanga DA leader following virtual political congress". The Citizen. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ "DA elective conference: Who supports who?". News24. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ "'We don't steal votes and we don't steal money'". SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.