View source for Weziwe Tikana-Gxotiwe

{{Short description|South African politician, educator and trade unionist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    =
| name                = Weziwe Tikana-Gxotiwe
| honorific-suffix    = [[Member of Parliament|MP]]
| image               =
| image_size          =
| caption             =
| office              = [[Member of the National Assembly of South Africa]]
| term_start          = 14 June 2024
| term_end            =
| predecessor         =
| successor           =
| office1             = [[Government of the Eastern Cape|Eastern Cape MEC for  Transport, Safety and Liaison]]
| premier1            = [[Phumulo Masualle]]<br />[[Oscar Mabuyane]]
| term_start1         = 23 May 2014
| term_end1           = 16 August 2022
| predecessor1        = [[Thandiswa Marawu]]
| successor1          = [[Xolile Nqatha]]
| office2             = Member of the [[Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature]]
| term_start2         = 21 May 2014
| term_end2           =
| birthname           = Weziwe Tikana
| birth_date          =  {{birth date and age|1967|11|03|df=y}}
| birth_place         =
| death_date          =
| death_place         =
| nationality         = South African
| party               = [[African National Congress]]
| otherparty          =
| spouse              =
| partner             =  <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married-->
| relations           =
| children            = 3
| residence           =
| education           = Sewushe Commercial College
| alma_mater          = Arthur Tsengiwe College of Education<br /> Belgravia Institute<br />[[University of Pretoria]]<br /> Global Business Solution
| occupation          =
| profession          = Politician, educator
| known_for           =
| committees          =
| awards              =
| website             =
}}
'''Weziwe Tikana-Gxotiwe''' (born 3 November 1967) is a South African politician, educator and trade unionist who has been a [[Member of the National Assembly of South Africa]] since 2024, representing the [[African National Congress]]. Prior to her election to parliament, she served in the [[Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature]]
==Early life and education==
Tikana-Gxotiwe was born in [[Cala, Eastern Cape|Cala]] in the former [[Cape Province]] (now the [[Eastern Cape]]). She matriculated from Sewushe Commercial College.<ref name="safety">{{cite web |title=Profile of the MEC |url=http://www.safetyec.gov.za/profile-of-the-mec/ |website=www.safetyec.gov.za |access-date=29 June 2021}}</ref> She completed a teachers' course at Arthur Tsengiwe College of Education. Tikana-Gxotiwe holds a primary teachers' diploma from Belgravia Institute and a diploma in local government Management from the [[University of Pretoria]]. Tikana-Gxotiwe earned a diploma in labour law from Global Business Solution.<ref name="safety" />
== Career ==
Tikana-Gxotiwe worked as an educator and training officer at the Department of Education and the Xhalanga Entrepreneurial Development Centre.<ref name="safety" /> She was also an adult basic education supervisor at the Cala Guidance Centre. She was also a senior administration officer at the [[Emalahleni Local Municipality, Eastern Cape|Emalahleni Local Municipality]] and was employed as a director of municipal public participation at the Local Government and Traditional Affairs Department. Tikana-Gxotiwe also served on the Vukani Community Radio Station board.<ref name="safety" />
==Politics==
Tikana-Gxotiwe is a member of the [[African National Congress]] and the party's [[African National Congress Women's League|women's league]] and serves on both organisations' provincial executive committees. Tikana-Gxotiwe also served on the structures of the [[South African Democratic Teachers Union]] and the Xhalanga Youth Congress.<ref name="safety" />
Tikana-Gxotiwe served on the regional executive committee of the ANC's women's league in the former Engcobo Region and was a member of the inter-regional structure of the former [[Ngcobo]], [[Queenstown, South Africa|Queenstown]] and mid-Karoo region.<ref name="safety" /> She also served as treasurer of the ANC's Chris Hani region.
Tikana-Gxotiwe is a former mayor of [[Sakhisizwe Local Municipality]] in the [[Chris Hani District Municipality]] and former South African Democratic Teachers Union deputy chair.<ref name="safety" /> She was a member of the SALGA management committee and served as the chairperson of the Governance Sub-Committee of the organisation.<ref name="safety" />
===Provincial government===
In [[2014 South African general election|2014]] Tikana-Gxotiwe was elected as a member of the [[Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature]]. She was then appointed as the [[Member of the Executive Council]] (MEC) for Transport, Safety and Liaison by premier [[Phumulo Masualle]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement by Mr Phumulo Masualle, Premier of the Eastern Cape, on the occasion of the appointment and swearing-in of Members of the Executive Council on Friday |url=https://www.gov.za/statement-mr-phumulo-masualle-premier-eastern-cape-occasion-appointment-and-swearing-members |website=[[Government of South Africa]] |access-date=29 June 2021 |date=23 May 2014}}</ref> Tikana-Gxotiwe was re-elected to another term in the legislature in [[2019 South African general election|2019]]. She remained in her position as MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison following [[Oscar Mabuyane]]'s election as premier, meaning that she was the only member of Masualle's executive to be appointed to Mabuyane's executive.<ref>{{cite news |title=Meet Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane's new cabinet |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/eastern-cape/meet-eastern-cape-premier-oscar-mabuyanes-new-cabinet-24313756 |access-date=29 June 2021 |newspaper=IOL |date=28 May 2019 |location=Port Alfred}}</ref>
In June 2020, Tikana-Gxotiwe lost a court case in which she wanted the [[United Democratic Movement]] (UDM) leader, [[Bantu Holomisa]] to retract a [[Twitter|tweet]] raising concerns over a guest house, which is in her daughter's name, that the provincial government decided to use a [[COVID-19]] isolation facility. Judge [[Gerald Bloem]] found it likely that Tikana-Gxotiwe was the owner or held a benefit in the Mioca Lodge in Cala.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ellis |title=Eastern Cape MEC loses court battle over Covid-19 guesthouse tweet – as judge slams government corruption in SA |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-06-03-eastern-cape-mec-loses-court-battle-over-covid-19-guesthouse-tweet-as-judge-slams-government-corruption-in-sa/ |access-date=29 June 2021 |newspaper=Daily Maverick |date=3 June 2021}}</ref>
In March 2021, acting Public Protector [[Kholeka Gcaleka]] found that there was no improper conduct by Tikana-Gxotiwe in relation to the procurement of her daughter's lodge as a COVID-19 quarantine site.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nini |first1=Asanda |title=Eastern Cape MEC off the hook over use of daughter's lodge for quarantine site |url=https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2021-03-19-eastern-cape-mec-off-the-hook-over-use-of-daughters-lodge-for-quarantine-site/ |access-date=29 June 2021 |newspaper=DispatchLIVE |date=19 March 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sonjica |first1=Nomahlubi |title=Public protector clears Eastern Cape transport MEC over contracts to relatives |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2021-03-31-public-protector-clears-eastern-cape-transport-mec-over-contracts-to-relatives/ |access-date=29 June 2021 |newspaper=TimesLIVE |date=31 March 2021}}</ref>
On 16 August 2022, Mabuyane reshuffled his executive council and removed Tikana-Gxotiwe as the MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison due to her support for [[Babalo Madikizela]], his contender for provincial chairperson at the ANC's provincial elective conference in May 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plaatjies |first=Compiled by Razaan |title=Premier Oscar Mabuyane reshuffles Eastern Cape cabinet |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/community-newspaper/pe-express/premier-oscar-mabuyane-reshuffles-eastern-cape-cabinet-20220816 |access-date=2022-08-18 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==National parliament==
Tikana-Gxotiwe was ranked number 71 on the ANC's national candidate list for the [[2024 South African general election|2024 general election]]. At the election, she won a seat in the [[National Assembly of South Africa]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 400 MPs elected to the National Assembly - IEC - DOCUMENTS {{!}} Politicsweb |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/documents/the-400-mps-elected-to-the-national-assembly--iec |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=www.politicsweb.co.za |language=en}}</ref> She was sworn in as a Member of Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldlive.co.za/news/politics/2024-06-18-anc-must-prepare-for-battle-to-retain-power-mabuyane/|title=ANC must prepare for battle to retain power — Mabuyane|website=HeraldLIVE|access-date=27 June 2024}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
*{{People's Assembly (South Africa)|weziwe-tikana|Weziwe Tikana}}
*{{Twitter|WeziweTikana}}
{{Current MPs of South Africa}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tikana-Gxotiwe, Weziwe}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Xhosa people]]
[[Category:People from the Eastern Cape]]
[[Category:African National Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature]]
[[Category:Women members of provincial legislatures of South Africa]]
[[Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2024–2029]]