Oscar Mabuyane


Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane is a South African economist and politician who has been serving as the 7th Premier of the Eastern Cape since May 2019 and a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature since February 2018. A member of the African National Congress, he has been serving as the Provincial Chairperson of the party since his election in October 2017. From May 2018 to May 2019, he served as the Eastern Cape MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Early life and career

Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane was born on 24 February 1974 in Engcobo, Cape Province. He matriculated from Lekoa Shandu High School in Sharpeville, Transvaal Province. He studied at the University of Fort Hare and achieved a BCom in Economics. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in public administration from the same university.
Mabuyane worked in the office of then-MEC Enoch Godongwana from 2002 to 2005. In 2005, he found employment as a managing director at Ikamva Consulting.

Political career

Between 1995 and 2008, Mabuyane was involved in the African National Congress and the South African Students Congress. He was appointed the SASCO branch chairperson at the University of Fort Hare in 1999 before he became the university's SRC president in 2000. He became the deputy provincial secretary of the ANCYL in 2008 and served until 2011. In 2009, he was elected the provincial secretary of the ANC. He was re-elected twice while holding the office.
On 1 October 2017, Mabuyane was elected Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress, succeeding incumbent Chairperson Phumulo Masualle. He won by a landslide margin of 931 votes against Masualle's 7.
Mabuyane was sworn in as a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature on 19 February 2018. The swearing-in of Mabuyane created speculation that he would succeed Premier Phumulo Masualle. Instead of being appointed to the post of Premier, Masualle appointed him to the post of Eastern Cape MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism in May 2018.
Following the May 2019 elections, the African National Congress announced that it had selected Mabuyane as the party's Eastern Cape Premier candidate. He assumed the office on 22 May 2019.

Personal life

Mabuyane is married to Siyasanga. They have three children.