Dr Dickson Masemola was appointed as Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 3 July 2024

He was born and bred in Ga-Marishane in the Sekhukhune region of Limpopo during the dark days of apartheid, and cut his political teeth at a young age owing to various influences.

As an active young person, he participated in the village youth structures as part of extramural activities and also mobilisation of the Marishane Mountain Lions Football Club and Marishane Youth Organisation under the militant Sekhukhuneland Youth Organisation, which was part of South African Youth Congress He became part of the student movement and the broader youth movement where he led in various capacities in the South African National Students Congress, South African Student Organisation and Student Representative Council at the Dr CN Phatudi Colleg

Dr Masemola began his involvement in the African National Congress (ANC) while still young and participated in the processes of rebuilding structures of the ANC in the country after its unbanning. He was a volunteer and party agent of the ANC in the first democratic elections in 1994 and grew through the ranks of the ANC from the then Marishane Branch until the most senior provincial level where he became the ANC Provincial Deputy Chairperson. He has led the ANC in Sekhukhune Region in many capacities, including as the Regional Chairperson.

He has contributed immensely in the local government sphere and served in various roles, including participating in processes that led to the formation of the South African Local Government Association. He also served as Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality for three terms

He served as the Board Chairperson of MINTEK, South Africa’s national mineral research organisation and one of the world’s leading technology organisations specialising in mineral processing, extractive metallurgy and related areas. Dr Masemola served as the Limpopo Member of the Executive Council for Roads and Transport (acting capacity); for Education, Public Works, Transport and Community Safety, and Public Works; Roads and Infrastructure, and also served on the ANC Limpopo Provincial Executive Committee, Provincial Working Committee and Head of the Economic Transformation Committee.