Newly elected Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi left the provincial executive council he inherited from his predecessor David Makhura largely intact to ensure continuity but fired two members of the previous cabinet during his cabinet reshuffle.
Opposition parties were not convinced by Lesufi’s retention of the old guard, and said his playing of musical chairs highlighted the “leadership crisis” in the ANC. “The party has a lack of both capable and ethical leaders to improve the lives of the poor and instead reverts to chair swapping in a bid to save face in the lead-up to the 2024 elections,” said Action SA Gauteng leader Bongani Baloyi.
“The only way to restore Gauteng to its rightful place as SA’s economic powerhouse is to remove the party from power and replace it with leaders focused not on themselves but on improving the lives of ordinary residents.”
The cabinet reshuffle on Friday saw former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau axed as economic development MEC and replaced by Tasneem Motara, the previous MEC for infrastructure development and property management.
Member of the provincial legislature (MPL) Nomathemba Mokgethi was fired as health MEC and replaced by ANC Gauteng deputy chair Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, who previously served as finance and e-government political head.
SA Communist Party Gauteng secretary and erstwhile public transport and roads infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo, who has thus far failed to have E-tolls scrapped, was rewarded with the finance portfolio and will be in charge of the province’s budget of R153bn for the 2022/2023 financial year.
The other appointments include:
- Co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), e-government, research & development — Mzi Khumalo.
- Transport and logistics — Kedibone Diale Tlabela.
- Human settlements and infrastructure development — Lebogang Maile (former Cogta MEC).
- Health and wellness — Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko (former finance and e-government MEC).
- Education — Matome Chiloane.
- Sports, recreation, arts and culture (SRAC) — Morakane Mosupyoe (former social development MEC).
- Community safety — Faith Mazibuko.
- Social development — Mbali Hlophe (former SRAC MEC).
- Economic development — Tasneem Motara.
Lesufi said the non-negotiables for his cabinet between now and the 2024 national elections were to ensure Gauteng’s economic recovery and reconstruction post Covid-19; strengthen the fight against crime, corruption, vandalism and lawlessness; and change living conditions in townships, informal settlements and hostels.
The province has difficulty providing basic services such as housing, clinics, schools, water and electricity. ANC electoral support has fallen in Gauteng over the years to 36.06% during the 2021 municipal elections from 45.84% and 59.66% during the 2016 and 2011 municipal elections respectively.
The party lost control of the crucial metros of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane to DA-led coalitions during the 2021 municipal election after its national electoral support fell below 50% for the first time since 1994.
The City of Johannesburg is under an ANC-led coalition after the recent ousting of the DA’s Mpho Phalatse as executive mayor through a motion of no confidence. She is challenging her removal in court.
Lesufi said Cogta MEC Khumalo’s mandate was to give attention to local government to ensure stable management of the coalition governments in place. “Some of the things need conflict resolution rather than motions of no confidence. We are losing skilled engineers ... no-one wants to work in an unstable environment,” the premier said. Instability in coalitions affected the economy as well.
Tlabela, meanwhile, was mandated to ensure that E-tolls were scrapped while Mamabolo was mandated to establish a state bank.
“We run a R150bn budget. We want to change the face of townships; they [residents] must use a state bank to apply for a bond. A state bank will allow people to improve how township housing looks like; we want to fund township businesses. We want to establish a pharmaceutical company. There must be no hospital without medication. We will buy medication directly on our own,” said Lesufi.
On crime-fighting efforts, the province wants to recruit 6,000 young crime fighters to supplement law-enforcement officers, procure high-powered performance vehicles and at least four helicopters, Lesufi said.
The premier said he consulted with the ANC and alliance partners in consolidating his cabinet, and “the ANC said we must appoint a leadership that is beyond reproach, with no scandals, clear, and doesn’t have questionable character”.
Lesufi came under fire in 2021 when the education department used about R430m to decontaminate schools at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. In contrast, Solidarity trade union used R300m, funded by its members, to build the Sol-Tech technical training college campus in Monument Park in Pretoria in 2021.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the party welcomed Mokgethi’s removal “as she failed to clamp down on rampant corruption in her department. We also question how the new health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko will turn around this department which is rooted in corruption.
“It appears as if this province is just limping from one disaster to the next and the only end in sight is for the residents of Gauteng to vote for a capable DA government in the 2024 general elections,” Msimanga said.
“If Lesufi was a true leader, he would instead have kept the departments as they are and do a proper review of what measures needed to be taken to improve service delivery.””
Lesufi said the ANC was firm about what sort of team it wanted. It sent “a strong message” that appointments to the provincial executive must be based on competence, skills and gender parity. Seven of the 10-member cabinet are women.
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