Re-elected premier admits Health Department a shambles
RE-ELECTED Gauteng Premier David Makhura has admitted that the previous administration under him had battled to turn around the fortunes of the beleaguered Health Department, which he said was in shambles.
Makhura was addressing the media yesterday following his election at the first sitting of the provincial legislature.
“Our health system is on its knees. We are going to do a big overhaul in administration.
“Having been premier for five years, I know where departments are not properly led, not just who is the head but the overhaul of administration to bring in the capabilities to get us to deliver,” he said.
Makhura undertook to make massive changes in his provincial Cabinet, which he was expected to announce either today or tomorrow.
“You are going to see a lot of changes. The ANC caucus here is younger, more energetic and better educated. When I announce the Cabinet you are going to see it combines all of that. We will combine experience with energy,” Makhura said.
He would not divulge the names of those he would appoint, but said some of those he would handpick would be on the basis of experience in running municipalities.
Former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau and former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa have been touted for seats in Makhura’s provincial executive council.
Makhura was one of eight ANC premiers installed in their respective provinces yesterday following the general elections, with the party having its most dismal winning performance in Gauteng, with 50.19%.
He said the ANC-led administration had understood the signal of discontent and unhappiness of Gauteng citizens, which they had expressed at the polls.
“The people in Gauteng are impatient and we have heard them,” Makhura said. Despite the ANC’s bad electoral performance at the recent polls, he said, his previous provincial administration had played a leading role in education, economic revitalisation and job creation, including the creation of opportunities for young people.
He said economic growth and job creation would be the priority of the sixth administration in the country’s economic hub.
“The economy and jobs is going to be the number one issue, and when I do the deployment of MECs you are going to see who I assign.
“You are going to see what I mean when I say this issue is an important priority,” he said.
“We are going to redouble our efforts in those areas, including in fighting crime and corruption, where we were not doing well over time. The crime statistics are horrible,” he said.