The Executive Council of the Free State is the cabinet of the executive branch of the provincial government in the South African province of the Free State. The Members of the Executive Council (MECs) are appointed from among the members of the Free State Provincial Legislature by the Premier of the Free State, an office held since May 2024 by Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae of the African National Congress (ANC).
Direko premiership: 1999–2004
Winkie Direko was elected as the Free State's third Premier in the 1999 general election. She reshuffled her Executive Council on 28 June 2001, firing three MECs: Tate Makgoe, Anna Buthelezi-Phori, and Casca Mokitlane. +Free State Executive Council 1999–2004PostMemberTermPartyPremier of the Free StateWinkie Direko19992004ANCMEC for FinanceZingile Dingani19992004ANCMEC for HealthMantsheng Tsopo19992004ANCMEC for EducationPapi Kganare19992004ANCMEC for AgricultureMann Oelrich2001ANCTate Makgoe19992001ANCMEC for Tourism and Environmental and Economic AffairsSakhiwo Belot20012004ANCBenny Kotsoane19992001ANCMEC for Public Works, Roads and TransportSekhopi MaleboANCMEC for Local Government and HousingLechesa Tsenoli19992004ANCMEC for Safety and SecurityBenny Kotsoane20012004ANCCasca Mokitlane19992001ANCMEC for Social Development and WelfareBeatrice Marshoff20012004ANCAnna Buthelezi-Phori2001ANCMEC for Sports, Arts, Culture, Science and TechnologyWebster Mfebe19992004ANC
Marshoff premiership: 2004–2009
Beatrice Marshoff was elected Premier in the 2004 general elections; her new Executive Council was sworn in on 3 May 2004. In April 2005, over the course of two weeks, Marshoff announced two wide-ranging reshuffles in which three MECs – Ace Magashule, Itumeleng Benny Kotsoane, and Benny Malakoane – were sacked and others changed portfolios. In August 2007, in another reshuffle, Magashule was returned to the cabinet and another MEC, Playfair Morule, was removed; several other MECs also changed portfolios.
In January 2008, Mxolisi Dukwana was appointed as MEC for Public Safety and Security and Mamiki Qabathe was appointed MEC for Agriculture. In October that year, both changed portfolios, along with two other MECs, in a reshuffle affecting four portfolios but involving no sackings. In February 2009, Dukwana additionally took on, in an acting capacity, the education portfolio, after Education MEC Casca Mokitlane resigned and defected from the ANC ahead of the 2009 general election. +Free State Executive Council 2004–2009PostMemberTermPartyPremier of the Free StateBeatrice Marshoff20042009ANCMEC for FinanceTate Makgoe20052009ANCPlayfair Morule20042005ANCMEC for HealthSakhiwo Belot20042009ANCMEC for EducationCasca Mokitlane20072009ANCMantsheng Tsopo20042007ANCMEC for Tourism, Environmental and Economic AffairsMxolisi Dukwana20082009ANCNeo Masithela20052008ANCBenny Malakoane20042005ANCMEC for Public Works, Roads and TransportSeiso Mohai20042009ANCMEC for AgricultureNeo Masithela20082009ANCMamiki Qabathe20082008ANCSusan Mnumzana20072008ANCCasca Mokitlane20052007ANCAce Magashule20042005ANCMEC for Local Government and HousingJoel Mafereka20052009ANCBenny Kotsoane20042005ANCMEC for Public Safety, Security and LiaisonAce Magashule20082009ANCMxolisi Dukwana20082008ANCZanele Dlungwana20072008ANCPlayfair Morule20052007ANCTate Makgoe20042005ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentMantsheng Tsopo20072009ANCZanele Dlungwana20042007ANCMEC for Sports, Arts and CultureMamiki Qabathe20082009ANCAce Magashule20072008ANCMEC for Sports, Arts, Culture, Science and TechnologySusan Mnumzana20052007ANCJoel Mafereka20042005ANC
Magashule premiership
First term: 2009–2014 On 11 May 2009, following his election as Premier in the 2009 general election, Ace Magashule announced his new Executive Council, which included six new appointments; in addition, the names of four departments were changed. In February 2011, Magashule announced a reshuffle in which four MECs changed portfolios and in which responsibility for rural development was moved from the public works portfolio to the agriculture portfolio. In June of that year, he appointed Butana Komphela to replace Thabo Manyoni as MEC for Police, Roads and Transport; Manyoni had left the provincial government to become Mayor of Mangaung.
Magashule effected two further reshuffles before the end of the provincial legislature's term. In February 2012, he fired Economic Development MEC Mxolisi Dukwana and replaced him with Mamiki Qabathe; Olly Mlamleli was appointed to the Executive Council to take over Qabathe's former portfolio. In March 2013, Magashule fired Finance MEC Seiso Mohai, replacing him with Elzabe Rockman, and appointed Benny Malakoane to fill the vacancy in the health portfolio that had arisen after Fezi Ngumbentombi's death in December 2012; Qabathe also swopped portfolios with Msebenzi Zwane. +Free State Executive Council 2009–2014PostMemberTermPartyPremier of the Free StateAce Magashule20092014ANCMEC for FinanceElzabe Rockman20132014ANCSeiso Mohai20092013ANCMEC for HealthBenny Malakoane20132014ANCFezi Ngumbentombi20112012ANCSisi Mabe20092011ANCMEC for EducationTate Makgoe20092014ANCMEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsMsebenzi Zwane20132014ANCMamiki Qabathe20122013ANCMxolisi Dukwana20092012ANCMEC for Police, Roads and TransportButana Komphela20112014ANCThabo Manyoni20092011ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentMamiki Qabathe20132014ANCMsebenzi Zwane20112013ANCMEC for AgricultureMamiki Qabathe20092011ANCMEC for Public Works and Rural DevelopmentFezi Ngumbentombi20092011ANCMEC for Public WorksSisi Mabe20112014ANCMEC for Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human SettlementsOlly Mlamleli20122014ANCMamiki Qabathe20112012ANCMsebenzi Zwane20092011ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentSisi Ntombela20092014ANCMEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and RecreationDan Kgothule20092014ANC
Second term: 2014–2018 Pursuant to his re-election in the 2014 general election, Magashule announced his new Executive Council on 29 May 2014. He made only limited changes, replacing Dan Kgothule with Mathabo Leeto as MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation and replacing Sisi Mabe, who became Speaker of the provincial legislature, with Sam Mashinini as MEC for Public Works. He also added small business development to Msebenzi Zwane's economic development portfolio.
In May 2015, Magashule announced the first reshuffle of his second term, occasioned by the departure of Mamiki Qabathe, who succeeded Mabe as Speaker. In September 2015, Zwane, who had replaced Qabathe in the agriculture portfolio in the May reshuffle, was sworn into the National Assembly to become national Minister of Mineral Resources; he was replaced in the Executive Council by Oupa Khoabane. In October the following year, Magashule announced a wide-ranging reshuffle, occasioned by the departure of Mlamleli, who had been elected Mayor of Mangaung in the local government elections in August; Limakatso Mahasa was the only new appointment made, although the reshuffle affected five portfolios. +Free State Executive Council 2014–2018PostMemberTermPartyPremier of the Free StateAce Magashule20142018ANCMEC for FinanceElzabe Rockman20142018ANCMEC for HealthButana Komphela20162018ANCBenny Malakoane20142016ANCMEC for EducationTate Makgoe20142018ANCMEC for Economic and Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsBenny Malakoane20162018ANCSam Mashinini20152016ANCMsebenzi Zwane20142015ANCMEC for Police, Roads and TransportSam Mashinini20162018ANCButana Komphela20142016ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentOupa Khoabane20152018ANCMsebenzi Zwane20152015ANCMamiki Qabathe20142015ANCMEC for Public Works and InfrastructureDorah Coetzee20152018ANCSam Mashinini20142015ANCMEC for Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human SettlementsSisi Ntombela20162018ANCOlly Mlamleli20142016ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentLimakatso Mahasa20162018ANCSisi Ntombela20142016ANCMEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and RecreationMathabo Leeto20142018ANC
Ntombela premiership
First term: 2018–2019 Sisi Ntombela was sworn in as Premier in March 2018; she succeeded Ace Magashule, who had resigned to take up the position of ANC Secretary-General. Although she initially retained all of Magashule's MECs, she announced a reshuffle on 9 May 2018. Five portfolios were affected, but no MECs were fired; indeed, because Ntombela's promotion had left a vacancy in the Executive Council, one new MEC, Montseng Tsiu, was appointed. In the same reshuffle, responsibility for human settlements was transferred from the cooperative governance and traditional affairs portfolio to Dorah Coetzee's public works and infrastructure portfolio. +Free State Executive Council 2018–2019PostMemberTermPartyPremier of the Free StateSisi Ntombela20182019ANCMEC for FinanceElzabe Rockman20182019ANCMEC for HealthMontseng Tsiu20182019ANCButana Komphela20182018ANCMEC for EducationTate Makgoe20182019ANCMEC for Economic and Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsLimakatso Mahasa20182019ANCBenny Malakoane20182018ANCMEC for Police, Roads and TransportSam Mashinini20182019ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentBenny Malakoane20182019ANCOupa Khoabane20182018ANCMEC for Public Works, Infrastructure and Human SettlementsDorah Coetzee20182019ANCMEC for Public Works and InfrastructureDorah Coetzee20182018ANCMEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsOupa Khoabane20182019ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentButana Komphela20182019ANCLimakatso Mahasa20182018ANCMEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and RecreationMathabo Leeto20182019ANC
Second term: 2019–2023 Ntombela was elected to a full term as Premier in the 2019 general election and she announced her new Executive Council in late May. On 1 October 2021, she announced a reshuffle affecting three portfolios, in which Sam Mashinini was fired. She resigned as premier in February 2023. +Free State Executive Council 2019–2023PostMemberTermPartyPremier of the Free StateSisi Ntombela20192023ANCMEC for FinanceGadija Brown20192023ANCMEC for HealthMontseng Tsiu20192023ANCMEC for EducationTate Makgoe20192023ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentThembeni Nxangisa20212023ANCWilliam Bulwane20192021ANCMEC for Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsMakalo Mohale20192023ANCMEC for Police, Roads and TransportWilliam Bulwane20212023ANCSam Mashinini20192021ANCMEC for Public Works and Human SettlementsMotshidisi Koloi20192023ANCMEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsMxolisi Dukwana20212023ANCThembeni Nxangisa20192021ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentMamiki Qabathe20192023ANCMEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and RecreationLimakatso Mahasa20192023ANC Dukwana premiership: 2023–2024 On 14 March 2023, Dukwana appointed his Executive Council. +Free State Executive Council 2023–2024PostMemberTermPartyPremier of the Free StateMxolisi Dukwana20232024ANCMEC for FinanceGadija Brown20232024ANCMEC for HealthMathabo Leeto20232024ANCMEC for EducationMakalo Mohale20232024ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentSaki Mokoena20232024ANCMEC for Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsThabo Meeko20232024ANCMEC for Police, Roads and TransportMaqueen Letsoha-Mathae2023 2024ANCMEC for Public Works and Human SettlementsDibolelo Mahlatsi20232024ANC MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsKetso Makume20232024ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentMotshidisi Koloi20232024ANCMEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and RecreationLimakatso Mahasa20232024ANC Lesotha-Mathae premiership: 2024–present Following the 2024 provincial election, Dukwana was replaced as premier with Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae. She announced her executive council on 20 June 2024.