DR PHOPHI RAMATHUBA: “BEN 10s ARE THE DOWNFALL OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP”
- Mpho Dube
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Premier Warns At Lulekani House Handover: “Some Of Us Are Very Old Because Of Ben 10s”
By Mpho Dube, Editor-in-Chief
The Azanian | Truth. Fearless. Unfiltered.
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LULEKANI, BA-PHALABORWA– Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has sparked national debate after warning that younger romantic partners are behind the removal of many women in leadership.
Speaking on Wednesday during the handover of a new home to the family of conjoined twins in Lulekani, Ba-Phalaborwa, the Premier said women in power must guard against personal relationships influencing public duty.
“Am I Lying? I’m Not”
“I felt I must say this and take it off my chest,” Ramathuba told the crowd.
“Especially us women in politics. The downfall of us women – look at all the women. Why are we removed? Some of us are very old because of Ben 10s. That’s what is happening. Am I lying? I’m not.”
“It is our downfall... You are given power and then somebody who just arrived, somebody you saw growing up, changes you.”
The Premier, who made history as Limpopo’s first woman premier in June 2024 after serving as Health MEC from 2015 to 2024, said women in positions of power become targets.
“I know ourselves as women. I’m also a woman... The day I was appointed MEC, one of my brothers warned me about this. People will suddenly tell you how beautiful you are,” she said.
“You will even think, ‘I have not done any plastic surgery. I’m still Phophi.’ They will say you are the most beautiful woman. That’s men when they want to run the budget of the Department of Health.”
“We Campaign Door To Door”
Ramathuba urged women to protect the mandate given by voters.
“If you want to grow up the ladder, people must know you and your work. The power is yours. We are not giving it to somebody who does not even know what door-to-door campaigning is.
“We campaign door to door, but when we give you power, you give it to somebody else. You sit there and call the HOD and say a tender must go to a particular person. No nonsense… I'm not going to allow that. We should stop this,” she said.
“So, knowing me, that's why I'm still here. It's not easy. Don't lie to me.”
The remarks were made during #ServiceDeliveryWeek as Ramathuba handed over a specially built house to Nokuthula Sithole, 29, the mother of conjoined twins born on January 28, 2026 at Mankweng Tertiary Hospital.
In March, Professor Nyaweleni Tshifularo led an 8-hour operation to separate the twins. Sadly, one twin died in April after multiple organ failure.
“I wish that when we are done, we can even look at registering this house in the names of all the children and not the mother,” Ramathuba said.
“From today, you will be more beautiful than former Miss South Africa Basetsana Khumalo. Why? Because you have a house. You have this asset and those who never contributed towards it will want to own it. So this is for your children.”
The “Ben 10” comments have gone viral, with many praising Ramathuba for speaking frankly while others accused her of generalizing.
The Premier concluded: “The strength of a province is measured by how we treat the most vulnerable among us.”
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