Chief Whip
Cllr: Johannes Phokane
MEET THE COUNCIL WHIP.
Politics ! Church !
Cllr Choris Phokane effortlessly moves along these two systems.
While he is affectionately known as Choris within the political circles, officially he was christened Maudu Johannes Phokane.
Phokane hails from Mabocha Village, under FetakgomoTubatse Local Municipality.
He matriculated from Paepae Secondary School in 1989.
In February 2022 he was elected as Council Whip of Sekhukhune District Municipality during a special council meeting.
Phokane was previously the Mayor of FetakgomoTubatse Local Municipality.
In 1994, Phokane was the Secretary of South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in Mabocha, a position he held until 1997.
From the year 2003 until 2006, Phokane was the Secretary of Mabocha Youth Forum, coordinating youth activity in the village.
Known fondly amongst his colleagues as “Man of God”, Phokane held several leadership positions in the Apostolic Faith Mission Penge Assembly between 2002 and 2016.
His task in the church included caring out activity like preaching, spiritual upliftment of congregants and shepherding.
Phokane was instrumental in the establishment of the first ANC Youth League branch at Mabocha village in 1993 and became its first secretary and re-elected to the same position in subsequent years until 1995.
He also led the ANC at branch level in ward 30 from 2005 to 2016, consecutively as Secretary.
In 2014, Phokane was elected the chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) Tubatse subregion and was responsible to provide political direction.
In December 2021, Phokane was elected as member of both the Regional Executive Committee and Regional Working Committee of the ANC in Sekhukhune Region.
At branch level, he served as a Sports Convenor for Bohlabela Sadtu Branch from 2004 to 2005.
Phokane also served his community as secretary of the Bakwena Traditional Authority between 2003 and 2016. He relinquished this duty when his responsibility was heightened after he was elected as mayor of Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality.
As Council Whip, his duties include, but not limited to, promoting good governance, political accountability and managing conflict.
In terms of educational background, Phokane holds a Bachelor of Degree (Honours) in Education Psychology from the University of Limpopo, BA in Social Science from the University of South Africa and certificates and diplomas in various fields including Human Resource Management, Senior Primary Teacher, computer Literacy and Governance.
Between 1995 and 2008 he was site secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, at Lehlaba High School.
