Seiso Mohai

Seiso Joel Mohai (born 8 November 1966) is a South African politician who is currently the Chief Whip of the Majority Party in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). He was first elected to that position after the 2014 general election and he represents the African National Congress. He formerly served in both the National Assembly and the Free State Provincial Legislature, and he was a Member of the Free State Executive Council from 2004 to 2013.

The Honourable
Seiso Mohai
MP
Majority Chief Whip in the National Council of Provinces
Assumed office
May 2014
Member of the Free State Executive Council for Finance
In office
11 May 2009 – 11 March 2013
PremierAce Magashule
Preceded byTate Makgoe
Succeeded byElzabe Rockman
Member of the Free State Executive Council for Public Works, Roads and Transport
In office
3 May 2004 – 11 May 2009
PremierBeatrice Marshoff
Preceded bySekhopi Malebo
Succeeded by
Personal details
Born (1966-11-08) 8 November 1966
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress

Early life and activism

Mohai was born on 8 November 1966.[1] In the early 1980s, he attended secondary school in Botshabelo, a township outside Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State. While a student, he became active in anti-apartheid politics, including through the Congress of South African Students and South African Youth Congress. He also helped establish the Garment and Allied Workers' Union among textiles workers in the region.[2]

After the African National Congress (ANC) was unbanned in 1990, he was recruited to the leadership of the ANC Youth League in the Southern Free State region around Botshabelo. He was elected to the Youth League's National Executive Committee in 1998.[2]

Career in government

In the 1999 general election, Mohai was elected to an ANC seat in the National Assembly, representing the Free State constituency,[1] but he left midway through the legislative term on 28 June 2001; his seat was filled by Butana Komphela.[3]

Thereafter he returned to the Free State to serve as ANC Chief Whip in the Free State Provincial Legislature.[2] He held the whip until the 2004 general election, after which he was appointed to the Free State Executive Council by Beatrice Marshoff, the newly elected Premier of the Free State; Marshoff made him Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Public Works, Roads and Transport.[4] After the next general election in 2009, he was appointed MEC for Finance by Marshoff's successor, Premier Ace Magashule.[5] However, in March 2013, Magashule fired Mohai from the Executive Council, replacing him with Elzabe Rockman.[6] He said that Mohai was a "very strong leader" and that the ANC had decided to "redeploy" him to the national Parliament.[7]

Mohai rejoined the National Assembly on 26 March 2013, filling a casual vacancy.[8] He served in that seat until the 2014 general election, when he was elected to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), the upper house of the Parliament, and appointed the ANC's Chief Whip in the NCOP.[2][8] He was re-elected both to his NCOP seat and to the whip's office after the 2019 general election.[9] In January 2023, he was one of three candidates nominated by the ANC for election as Mayor of Mangaung.[10]

References
  1. "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. "Mr Seiso Mohai (ANC)". People's Assembly. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  3. "The National Assembly List of Resinations and Nominations". Parliament of South Africa. 2 June 2002. Archived from the original on 2 June 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  4. "Marshoff names new Free State council". IOL. 3 May 2004. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  5. "Free State provincial ministers announced". The Mail & Guardian. 11 May 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  6. "Magashule sacks Free State finance MEC". News24. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  7. "Cabinet reshuffle". Bloemfontein Courant. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  8. "Seiso Joel Mohai". People's Assembly. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  9. "Masondo elected NCOP chairperson". eNCA. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  10. "Three up for Mangaung mayorship". eNCA. 15 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
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