Masualle’s political fate in hands of PEC leaders today
Cosatu supports recall, replacement by Mabuyane
THE Eastern Cape ANC leadership will meet today to decide premier Phumulo Masualle’s political future amid a call by Cosatu that he be removed by Friday.
The provincial executive committee (PEC) will hold a special meeting to finalise the matter.
The resolution to support the move to recall Masualle was taken at a meeting, attended by all the secretaries affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), held in East London last week.
Cosatu provincial secretary Xolani Malamlela confirmed the meeting, saying they made the decision after the federation received a shocking report from the ANC, stating that Masualle “is flatly refusing to cooperate with the new ANC leadership”.
“Initially, as a matter of principle, Cosatu was of the view that the premier would have to finish his term of office, but when we were informed about the poor relations between the two offices, we were left with no choice as Cosatu but to support the move to replace him to avoid two centres of power,” said Malamlela.
The developments come a few weeks after the PEC announced that it would have to “re-configure” the Masualle-led cabinet.
This saw the party reshuffling its list of members of parliament, resulting in the swearing-in of new members yesterday. ANC chairman Oscar Mabuyane and his deputy Mlungisi Mvoko were sworn in as new MPLs yesterday, signalling the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle this week.
Malamlela said their meeting, which had representation from all Cosatu affiliates, spoke with unison saying Mabuyane must replace Masualle as the premier.
It was still unclear at the time of going to print whether Mabuyane or Masualle will deliver the state of the province address on Friday.
But the Daily Dispatch can reveal that Mabuyane and his top officials were locked in a meeting in Calata House yesterday where Masualle’s exit plan was crafted.
A special PEC meeting earlier scheduled for yesterday, was shelved at the 11th-hour, to allow some PEC members who are also members of parliament and the national council of provinces, to attend yesterday’s joint sitting in the National Assembly.
ANC provincial spokesman Gift Ngqodi confirmed that the special PEC meeting would be held today.
The Dispatch understands that Masualle was in Cape Town yesterday, consulting party bosses following the dramatic developments.
Earlier yesterday, addressing the new MPLs, speaker Noxolo Kiviet said theirs now was a mandate to serve the more than 6.5 million residents of the province regardless of their political affiliation.
Mabuyane said they were well aware of the “huge” responsibility that comes with their new roles, adding that they were up to the task. “It is a huge responsibility and there is a bit of fear of the unknown, fearing the responsibility of our people on our shoulders beyond party parameters because now we are no longer just comrades, but we are honourable members.
“We are here to put more impetus into what the ANC has been doing and we are going to make it a point that we are bringing the necessary energy to the collective that is here and push our country towards the National Democratic Revolution and the Legislature is a terrain of struggle,” Mabuyane said.
“To be a public representative is another call and definitely one is obliged to rise to the occasion, but fortunately the ANC has prepared us well – we are lubricated machinery ready to transform the lives of our people in this province.”
Masualle could not be reached for comment.