SMART KIDS ANC rebuffs premier
LUTHULI HOUSE STEPS IN: NORTHERN CAPE CABINET SACKINGS REVERSED
Sylvia Lucas, said to be playing to the pro-Zuma gallery, gets rebuked by top brass.
The ANC in the Northern Cape has expressed vindication after Premier Sylvia Lucas was forced by Luthuli House and the party’s provincial leadership to rescind her controversial cabinet reshuffle.
In a terse statement yesterday, Lucas’ office said the premier had agreed to rescind her recent cabinet reshuffle after having met with the top six of the ANC, as well as the provincial leadership.
“A decision was taken that the reshuffle be reversed after it was found that proper consultation was not engaged upon. The premier accepted it as such and will abide by the decision,” the statement said.
Now Lucas has reinstated finance and economic development MEC Mac Jack, and transport and safety MEC Pauline Williams – officials she had fired unceremoniously early last month.
Jack was a chief lobbyist for Zamani Saul, who had opposed Lucas for the ANC chairperson position at the ANC provincial conference in May.
Saul has since been elected to the post unopposed after Lucas withdrew in anticipation of an imminent defeat.
Both Luthuli House and the newly elected provincial executive committee (PEC) expressed anger at Lucas’ action to fire her two opponents without consulting either of the two structures.
She implemented the shift a day before the conference where the new PEC was elected – a move that was interpreted as a ploy to frustrate the leadership elections.
Lucas was allegedly trying to appease her allies in the pro-Zuma “premier league”, who are campaigning for Zuma supporters to dominate all structures of the party in the run-up to the ANC elective conference in December.
After the sackings, Saul confirmed that Lucas had not consulted the party about her decision.
He expressed “absolute disgust” at the reshuffle in which she replaced Jack and Williams with loyalists.
Yesterday, newly elected ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga welcomed the reshuffle reversal.
He emphasised that the ANC is, and remains, the strategic centre of power, and said all strategic decisions must be taken in consultation with the ANC.
Luthuli House also previously vehemently condemned the cabinet reshuffle, saying no consultation was done by Lucas with the ANC at national or provincial level.
It was decided to annul the reshuffle because proper consultation was not embarked upon.
Statement premier’s office