Seaparo Sekoati | |
|---|---|
| Member of the National Assembly of South Africa | |
| Assumed office 14 June 2024 | |
| Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Finance | |
| In office 22 May 2019 – 28 May 2024 | |
| Premier | Stan Mathabatha |
| Preceded by | Rob Tooley |
| Succeeded by | Kgabo Mahoai |
| Member of the Limpopo Executive Council for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism | |
| In office July 2013 – May 2019 | |
| Premier | Stan Mathabatha |
| Preceded by | Pinky Kekana |
| Succeeded by | Thabo Mokone |
| Member of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature | |
| In office 2004–2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1967-06-28)28 June 1967 (age 58) |
| Party | African National Congress |
| Alma mater | University of Limpopo |
Seaparo Charles Sekoati (born 28 June 1967), sometimes misspelledSeaparo Sekwati, is a South African politician who has been aMember of the National Assembly of South Africa since 2024. He was aMember of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature from 2004 until 2024 and served in the Limpopo provincial government as theMember of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health and Social Development from 2004 to 2009 and, before serving as the MEC for Finance from 2019 until 2024, MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism from 2013 to 2019. From 2013 to 2017, he was also Regional Chairperson of theMopani branch of his political party, theAfrican National Congress.
Sekoati was born on 28 June 1967 inSekhukhuneland and grew up inMopani, now part ofLimpopo province.[1] He matriculated at Vuxeni High School in 1988.[1] He later earned aBachelor's degree insocial science from theUniversity of the North in 1993 and aMaster's degree indevelopment from theUniversity of Limpopo in 2011; he also earned a tertiary diploma at theUniversity of Zambia in 1996.[1]
During apartheid, he was active in theSouth African Youth Congress, theSouth African Students Congress, theCongress of South African Students, and theUnited Democratic Front.[1] After theAfrican National Congress (ANC) was unbanned in 1990, he became involved in theANC Youth League's new branch in Limpopo, ultimately becoming its Deputy Provincial Chairperson.[1] Later, from 2003 to 2008, he was a member of theProvincial Executive Committee of the mainstream ANC's Limpopo branch.[1]
Sekoati served on theLimpopo Executive Council from 2004 to 2009 during the tenure ofSello Moloto asPremier of Limpopo; he wasMember of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health and Social Development.[1] However, he was dropped from the Executive Council in 2009 byCassel Mathale, who succeeded Moloto as Premier.[2] Sekoati thus served the next few years, from 2009 to 2013, as an ordinaryMember of theLimpopo Provincial Legislature.[1]
On 19 July 2013, Sekoati was reappointed to the Executive Council byStan Mathabatha, who had recently succeeded Mathale as Premier after the ANC asked Mathale to resign. Mathabatha appointed Sekoati as MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism.[3] In the2014 general election, Sekoati was ranked fifth on the ANC'sparty list and gained re-election to the provincial legislature,[4] and Mathabatha reappointed him to his earlier portfolio.[5] Sekoati ultimately served as MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism until 2019, throughout Mathabatha's first full term as Premier.[1]
In late November 2013, at a party regional elective conference inPhalaborwa that was later challenged in court,[6] Sekoati was elected to succeedJoshua Matlou as Regional Chairperson of the ANC's Mopani branch. He beat David Maake, the outgoing Deputy Regional Chairperson, with 99 votes to Maake's 72.[6] At the next regional elective conference in September 2017, held inTzaneen, Sekoati ran for re-election but was defeated byPule Shayi, who received 155 votes to his 131.[7] With the national ANC'sown elective conference upcoming, Sekoati and Shayi were viewed as supporting opposing contenders: while Shayi was viewed as an ally ofNkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Sekoati was viewed as supportingCyril Ramaphosa.[7]
In the months after he was ousted as Mopani Chairperson, Sekoati stood for election asProvincial Treasurer of the ANC's Limpopo branch.[8] At the provincial elective conference in June 2018, he was beaten byDanny Msiza, who received 848 votes to his 688.[9] However, delegates at the conference elected Sekoati to a four-year term as an ordinary member of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee.[1] At the ANC's next provincial elective conference in 2022, Sekoati failed to gain re-election to the ANC Provincial Executive Committee.[10][11]
In the2019 general election, Sekoati was re-elected to the provincial legislature, ranked 35th on the ANC's party list.[4] Shortly after the election, Mathabatha announced his newly constituted Executive Council, in which Sekoati assumed the senior position of MEC for Finance, the political head of the Limpopo Treasury.[12][13]
Sekoati was elected to theNational Assembly of South Africa in the2024 general election.[14]
Sekoati is married and has at least one child, an adult daughter.[15]