David Makhura is a South African politician who served as the 6th Premier of Gauteng from 2014 when he was elected to October 2022 when he resigned. He is married to Mpho Makhura with whom he has three children.
At a time when so many ANC party members who are holding major political offices in the country are facing legal issues as a result of corruption for some and lack of qualifications for others, the premier of Gauteng, David Makhura has proven to be a leader who stands out. Since his first tenure as premier, he has continued to make decisions and policies that would make Gauteng a better place – even though the province is already one of South Africa’s most bubbling provinces.
David Makhura’s political career is not the only aspect of his life that he has given a premium. The Premier is also a happily married family man, and his home front seems to be as successful as his career, although most information about his private life is away from the public domain.
Summary of David Makhura’s Biography
- Full name: Manemolla David Makhura
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: 22 February 1968
- David Makhura’s Age: 56 Years Old
- Ethnicity: African
- Nationality: South African
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Marital Status: Married
- David Makhura’s Wife: Mpho Makhura
- David Makhura’s Children: 3
- Education: University of London, Stellenbosch University
- Famous for: His political career
- David Makhura’s Instagram: david_makhura
- Twitter: @David_Makhura
David Makhura Was First Elected As Premier Of Gauteng Province In 2014
David Makhura is currently the 6th premier of Gauteng Province and a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. He was elected as Premier in 2014 and officially assumed office on the 21st of May 2014. And after serving his first tenure with so much zeal and passion to see that the people of Gauteng have a better life, he was re-elected for a second tenure, as it was obvious to the people that a leader like him was what they needed.
During his second election in 2019, David Makhura was strongly opposed by Solly Msimanga, the Gauteng Province Premier candidate for the Democratic Alliance (DA), but the African National Congress (ANC) retained the office. Since 2019, David Makhura has continued to serve his second tenure, and he has not been linked to any form of corruption or scandal.
This is a very noteworthy thing to say about him, judging from the fact that a good number of other party members who served in other positions around the same time he did have been associated with or are facing different political scandals that have dragged their names to the mud.
David Makhura Joined The ANC As A Student
David Makhura who was born on the 22nd of February 1968, in Northern Transvaal Province, has always had an interest in politics and leadership from a very young age. He spent over 20 years of his life actively involved in youth and student politics and leadership.
During the South African apartheid regime, while he was still a student, David Makhura was also an activist and ignored the ban on ANC at that time to join the party, making him one of the people who formed the underground structure of the party. He was also a member of the South African Communist Party (SACP). He joined both parties in 1986 and 1987 respectively.
As a student, he was actively involved in the fight against financial exclusion in tertiary institutions in South Africa. He fought as a member of student organizations like the South Africa Student Congress (SASCO), an organization where he served in the capacity of General Secretary.
He Served As ANC Gauteng Provincial Secretary From 2001 to 2004
David Makhura holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from the University of London and is currently a student of the University of Stellenbosch where he is pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Futures Studies (energy futures). Makhura became the National Education Secretary and then the Deputy General Secretary of the National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU). He served in these positions from 1997 to 2001.
He was also a member of the Central Executive Committee of COSATU and served as a part of the Political Commission and Education Committee of the trade union federation. In 2001, he became the ANC Gauteng Provincial Secretary and a member of the PEC, as well as the ex-officio member of the National Executive Committee.
David Makhura was also the first person to organize the South African Communist Party National Youth Desk. In 2014, after holding the position of ANC Gauteng Provincial Secretary for about four years, he was elected the Premier of Gauteng Province, a post he holds to date. He is also a trustee of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.
David Makhura’s Tenure As The Gauteng Province Premier Is Full Of Good Reports
David Makhura has been the premier of Gauteng Province for seven years now and his tenure has been full of good reports. In 2014, the year he became the premier, he called on everyone to stand up and fight for the protection of children at a meeting at the community of Reiger Park. This followed the killing of Taegrin Morris, a four-year-old who was dragged to death by car hijackers.
Still, in 2014, the Natalspruit Hospital that was newly built and equipped with some of the best equipment that was usually found in private hospitals was officially opened by David Makhura. The launch was attended by Aaron Motsoaledi, the then-Minister of Health.
A survey done showed that 69% of the residents of Gauteng Province were satisfied with healthcare in the province and according to David Makhura, he was aiming at 80% by 2019. According to him, the province will invest R1.2 billion into healthcare and R3 billion into the purchase of equipment.
Two years into his tenure as premier, he laid charges against Namhla Siqaza, the former head of the Department of Sports, with the aim of recovering the R8 million government tender that was awarded wrongly.
David Makhura also has the vision of revitalizing Gauteng township by building 140,000 new houses in Gauteng. He also intends to improve the economy of the province to make it better than it already is and also to provide more employment opportunities.
As South Africa currently faces its third phase of COVID-19, Gauteng Province has been the worse-hit. The Premier has also called on members of the public to take the virus seriously and ensure that they take all necessary precautionary measures. Makhura is someone who understands what it means to be diagnosed with COVID-19, seeing that he tested positive for the virus in 2020 and would not like others to go through what he went through.
The Gauteng Premier Is Happily Married To His Wife, Mpho Makhura
While David Makhura serves the ANC and Gauteng Province and has been successful so far in his career, he is also a big-time family man but keeps his family life private. He is married to Mpho Makhura and their union is blessed with three children. Considering the fact that David Makhura is an elderly statesman in South Africa, knowing about his love life would have been really interesting, but sadly, information like how he met his wife and when they got married is not available. He is married to just one wife and seems to be satisfied with her as there has not been any known scandal as a result of infidelity.
