Vusi Shongwe

Vusumuzi Robert Shongwe (born 22 April 1958), known as Vusi Shongwe, is a South African politician who served as acting Premier of Mpumalanga between August and November 2015[1] while then Premier and now deputy president David Mabuza was being treated for an alleged food poisoning.[2][3]

The Honourable

Vusi Shongwe

MPL
MEC for the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs
Assumed office
17 August 2016
Premier
Preceded byAndries Gamede
MEC for the Department of Security, Community Safety and Liaison
In office
July 2011 – August 2016
PremierDavid Mabuza
Preceded bySibongile Manana
Succeeded byPat Ngomane
Acting Premier of Mpumalanga
In office
August 2015 – November 2015
PresidentJacob Zuma
Provincial treasurer of the Mpumalanga ANC
Assumed office
December 2015
Preceded byAndries Gamede
Personal details
Born
Vusumuzi Robert Shongwe

(1958-04-22) 22 April 1958
Breyten, Mpumalanga
CitizenshipSouth Africa
NationalitySouth African
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Spouse(s)
Charmaine Zwane
​
(m. 2016)​
ChildrenOnly 3 known, one of them was fatally hit by a car in 2015
ResidenceErmelo
ProfessionPolitician

Family and personal life

Shongwe lives in Ermelo, Gert Sibande District Municipality. He is married to Charmaine Zwane and they have three children.[4]

One of the couple's three children, last-born daughter 8-year-old Sethu Thandiswa Shongwe, died on 15 April 2015 when a speeding car hit her while she was crossing Ermelo's Pet Street near her home at around 4pm.[5][6]

Shongwe was born in Breyten, east of Ermelo,[7] Mpumalanga on 22 April 1958.

Career

Shongwe is a member of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature for the African National Congress (ANC).

He was the MEC for the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison when he was voted to stand in Mabuza's position while he was off sick.[8][9]

Shongwe is currently serving as the Mpumalanga MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, a position he assumed after the 3 August 2016 local government elections when Mabuza reshuffled his cabinet and moved him from the security cluster to be the new agricultural MEC.[10]

As an MEC of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Shongwe was the political head of the provincial security structure.[11][12][13][14]

In December 2015, Shongwe was elected the provincial treasurer of the ANC in the Mpumalanga province during an elective congress that elected Mabuza for a third term as ANC provincial chairperson.[15] Before this Shongwe had served as regional chairperson of the Gert Sibande ANC.[16]

Leader of government business

Shongwe was assigned in February 2020 by Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane to meet Russia's Sverdlovsk region minister of international and foreign economic affairs, Visiliy Kozlov, for bi-lateral talks. Kozlov had come to Mbombela government offices.

Shongwe is Mtsweni-Tsipane's second-in-charge, being the leader of government business in Mpumalanga.[17]

Food gardens for Covid-19

In April 2020, Shongwe called on families in Mpumalanga to consider starting vegetable gardens in response to the Covid-19 outbreak in South Africa and said using backyards to plant food was better than expecting aid from donors.

“Food parcels which are currently distributed are not sustainable”.

Shongwe also called on municipalities to consider having vegetable gardens across the province "to feed those who cannot afford".

"While we fight the Covid-19 virus and other deadly diseases on the hand we [should] also fight hunger and starvation aggressively because our communities can also die from malnutrition,” he said[18]

References
  1. Mpumalanga premier blames illness on poison, Lowvelder, 29 January 2016
  2. – Premier Mabuza 'recuperating', IOL, 1 October 2015
  3. – Mpumalanga premier claims he was poisoned, News24, 27 January 2016
  4. MEC ties the knot, Highvelder, 28 September 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2020
  5. MEC Shongwe's child dies in a car accident, Standerton Advertiser, 21 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2020
  6. MEC Shongwe's child dies in a car accident, Mpumalanga News, 16 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2020
  7. Ehlanzeni ANC wants Vusi Shongwe as deputy chair, 013NEWS, 3 February 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020
  8. Mabuza remains ANC number one, Lowvelder, 15 December 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2020
  9. Mpumalanga's premier to return to work next week, spokesperson, News24,10 November 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2020
  10. Mabuza reshuffles Mpumalanga MECs, Mpumalanga News, 19 August 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2020
  11. Govt to help bury crash victims, SA News,7 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2020
  12. Man arrested for rape and murder, News24, 9 June 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2020
  13. – Shongwe urges Breyten woman not to call police 'dogs', Government of South Africa,9 May 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2020
  14. Police are not dogs: Shongwe, IOL, 9 May 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2020
  15. DD Mabuza re-elected ANC Mpumalanga chairperson, Politics Web, 13 December 2015
  16. ANC welcome back former members from EFF and PAC, Highvelder, 8 September 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2020
  17. Premier delegates Vusi Shongwe to sign agreement with Russian Govt, 013NEWS, 7 February 2020
  18. 'Food gardens better than relying on food parcels – Shongwe, Mpumalanga News, 30 April 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2020
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