Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae
Opinion Article By Tiisetso Makhele
Yesterday, in an unexpected display of political maturity and respect of the decisions of higher structures, former Premier Cde Mxolisi Dukwana nominated Cde Maqueen to be the Premier of the province.
This gesture touched me, and when Cde Maqueen was officially elected, I promised myself to author two pieces, the first being to congratulate her and the second being to thank Cde Mxolisi for his maturity. This is the first of those two articles.
In writing a comprehensive account of the political activism of Cde Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, her comrade in arms for decades, who wrote the piece in August 2020, long before her comrade would become the Premier, Cde Charlotte Lobe provides deep insight about our Premier that many of us were unaware of.
“Cde Maqueen is an unsung hero. She is one of the people who contributed immensely to the course of social change and the evolution of Free State politics. She dedicated her time, energy and enthusiasm towards building the ANC Women’s League in the Free State after the unbanning of the liberation movement, as well as helping in the establishment of ANC structures in the Southern Free State” – writes Charlotte Lobe.
The above piece by Cde Lobe is important for at least two reasons. Firstly, it addresses the gender contradictions that preoccupy the authors of our history. Unlike men, women activists are often subjected to unfair scrutiny. In most cases their credentials are credited to the men they would have met in life, or other nonsensical, unjustified bases for criticism. So Cde Lobe accounts for the activism of Cde Maqueen from an early age, which proves that she is an activist in her own right.
Secondly, unlike this piece I authored, the above piece is narrated by someone who was there, who has not been told, and it’s content is more credible to the reader. Lastly, that the piece was written in 2020 negates the possibility that it was authored for expediency.
Cde Maqueen grew up in the small Eastern Free State town of Tweespruit, and was raised by a single mother. This aspect must have propelled her to be a staunch gender activist.
After completing her primary schooling, she was forced to relocate to Welkom, which was then a buzzing mining town, and a mecca of anti-Apartheid activism.
At Welkom she was not staying at a school hostel or a rented room, but her mother asked a total stranger to stay with her. It must have been difficult for her single mother to separate with a daughter, during those dark days of Apartheid.
It must have been more difficult for a teenage Cde Maqueen to go to a strange place and live with total strangers. Rather than break her, this environment sharpened her resilience and courage.
It is at Welkom where she would be introduced to political activism. Her already attained traits of resilience, tenacity, courage and gender awareness were properly guided through political and ideological training that she was first introduced to at Welkom.
After completing her secondary schooling she went back to Tweespruit, and would be unpopular with the Apartheid security forces as a “bad influence” to the community.
She would be so active that her activism multiplied. I believe this is what sharpened her superior organising and mobilisation skills, which are present even today.
Cde Maqueen is therefore not new in politics. She has been instrumental in the shaping of politics that we see today.
Her activism landed her in prison numerous times, Cde Charlotte Lobe narrates, and her involvement in underground work led to a shooting which caused the death of a fellow comrade. On that fateful day, Cde Maqueen was arriving home from an ANC underground activity, accompanied by a fellow ANC Women’s League activist, who was also an Umkhonto we Sizwe combatant.
“Cde Thenjiwe died on the spot while Cde Maqueen survived the shooting severely wounded” – writes Cde Lobe.
This episode of Cde Maqueen’s life is an epitome of her resilient nature, and portrays her as someone who constantly seeks to survive, rather than succumb, when confronted with difficulties. I salute her, indeed!
Even when she was a young, Cde Maqueen prioritized the struggles of women, opting to participate in the ANC Women’s League, rather than the ANC Youth League like her peers. Because of her resilient activism in the gender struggle, she became the first Provincial Secretary of the ANC Women’s League just after the 1994 breakthrough.
It must therefore not be a surprise that today she serves as the Treasurer General of the Women’s League. She has always been a gender activist foremost.
During her first tenure as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), from 1999 to 2004, she served in various portfolio committees, including as Chairperson of the Transport Committee. This enhanced her skills and experience in various areas of governance.
She is also an experienced administrator, having been deployed as, amongst others, Coordinator of Second Chance Matric in the Office of the Minister of Basic Education and Chief of Staff in the Office of the MEC for Social Development.
From 14 March 2023 until the recent elections she served as MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport. Here she used her wealth of experience in governance, her resilience, massive organising skills and astute leadership to deliver quality services in the sector.
She was seen criss-crossing the province handing over newly built roads, making sure local people were appointed, emphasizing the safety of our communities and closing potholes.
In her closing statements in the article, Cde Charlotte Lobe, who herself is a seasoned political and social activist, writes; “Today I celebrate you and hope that through this post you will be re-energized. Remember the Maqueen of yesteryears and assume your rightful place in society”. Today, 4 years later, Cde Maqueen is the Treasurer General of the ANC Women’s League and the 8th Premier of the Free State province. I am convinced that Cde Maqueen did listen to the advice by her comrade, got re-energized and assumed her rightful place in society.
I am one of those who held the view (and many still do) that Cde Maqueen is belligerent and combative. Due to my opinionated nature, I once had a fallout with Cde Maqueen on one of my social media posts. I think this was in 2016. The exchange was so heated that I was convinced she hated me.
To my surprise, after being elected as a member of the Interim Provincial Committee, she would greet me and even defend me when I was attacked because of my association with certain politicians. She showed me true political maturity.
Over the years, I have studied her methods, and have come to the conclusion that Cde Maqueen is not combative, but rather action-oriented. She seems to be impatient when theory and rhetoric are elevated over action. This makes some think she is combative.
Congratulations my sister. I am convinced that, working together with all your Comrades, officials in the different spheres of government, private business, labour and civil society, you will help make the Free State a better province.
Re a o lebohisa, moradi wa Letsoha!
Tiisetso Makhele is an African Marxist who writes what he likes
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