Former labour minister Mildred Oliphant quits parliament

Former minister of labour Mildred Oliphant has resigned from parliament.

The office of the ANC chief whip in parliament on Thursday confirmed that Oliphant has vacated her seat as the party's representative in the National Assembly.

Oliphant is the 9th senior ANC member to resign from parliament in two weeks after their exclusion from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet.

Former ministers Bathabile Dlamini, Derek Hanekom, Jeff Radebe, Siyabonga Cwele, Susan Shabangu, Tokozile Xasa, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba and Nomaindia Mfeketo have all resigned and will not form part of the 6th parliament.

It is believed that some of these senior party members resigned to secure a lucrative ministerial pension. Had they not resigned they would be backbenchers in the National Assembly and risked losing out on the perks.

Oliphant, like Radebe, has been in parliament since 1994 and has been minister of labour since 2010.

“The office of the ANC chief whip confirms having received the resignation letter of former minister of labour, comrade Mildred Oliphant, as an ANC member of parliament,” chief whip’s spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli said.