Gauteng ANC throws weight behind Gordhan
THE ANC in Gauteng has come out guns blazing in support of embattled Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, saying any move to remove him from his crucial position would amount to scapegoating. It commended him for his “sterling work” at the National Treasury.
This comes as speculation intensified that Gordhan might be replaced by former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe if President Jacob Zuma reshuffles his cabinet, after Parliament announced last week that he would be sworn in as an ANC MP. Molefe was expected to be sworn in today or tomorrow.
ANC structures in North West have revolted against his nomination.
An ANC MP said yesterday it would not be an easy process to get Molefe sworn in.
He described Molefe’s arrival in Parliament as bringing a level of uncertainty.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu had earlier not indicated where Molefe would be deployed in Parliament.
The ANC in Gauteng also admitted that the scourge of factionalism had “ravaged” the organisation and called for unity, saying a party at war with itself would not be able to lead society.
ANC chief whip in the Gauteng provincial legislature Brian Hlongwa made the remarks after a four-day caucus lekgotla at Erasmia in Tshwane yesterday.
On Friday, the ANC Youth League accused the Treasury of being a stumbling block to the radical economic transformation agenda, saying that on Gordhan’s watch, the institution continued to protect white monopoly capital.
Gordhan, who is widely respected by the markets, was reportedly having a tough time with his colleagues in the cabinet who criticised him for cutting back on their budget allocations.
Hlongwa, who sits on the ANC provincial executive committee, said they did not agree with the youth league’s call that Zuma should “redeploy” Gordhan.
He viewed the allegations that the Treasury and, by extension, Gordhan, were stifling implementation of the radical economic transformation as “creating a scapegoat”.
Only Zuma, as the president of the country, had the prerogative to appoint and redeploy ministers, “and if there are issues of performance, it’s the president who must be able to say that. But from where we sit, the minister of finance has been doing a sterling job.
“Redeploy on what basis, and where is the body of evidence that he (Gordhan) is a stumbling block? How can a cabinet of close to 70 people be dictated to by one person? It’s irrational. A number of ministers in President Zuma’s cabinet are members of the national executive committee of the ANC, so this narrative that you have one individual who is a stumbling block is a myth,” Hlongwa said.
He added that the Budget speech would be difficult for Gordhan because of the sluggish economic growth and the demands on the fiscus that continued to increase, “as evidenced by, among other things, the R28 billion deficit that is there already in the Budget”.
“Minister Gordhan will be walking a tightrope. The issue of how we get additional revenue to meet the unlimited demands of our people is going to be a tight one.”
If the income and value-added taxes were raised, they would be a burden on the poor.
The provincial ANC structure, said Hlongwa, had confidence that ways would be found to increase revenue so as to ensure that the “strategic objectives as defined in the State of the Nation Address are achieved”.
The Gauteng ANC will hold a provincial consultative conference and hear what people thought about the organisation, “that we are coming across as arrogant, insensitive to their needs and the social distance and a range of other issues.
“So, for us the point of departure is to reconnect with the people and arrive at a point where we agree on a set of principles that must guide the process of electing leaders.”
He added that attaining unity was paramount because “the issues of factionalism are going to destroy the ANC. For us the issue of unity means being able to engage all structures of the ANC across provincial lines, have consensus, have a leader that will become a ‘glue’.” Hlongwa added that “the winner-takes-all approach was not going to work”.
“An ANC at war with itself will not be able to lead society, and we are conscious of that. That is why we don’t think it’s a wise thing that we start throwing names.” The party wanted to focus on building unity among the rank and file.
The minister will be walking a Budget tightrope
HEALTH Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has asked the South African Human Rights Commission to investigate if there were cases of psychiatric patients who had died in other provinces besides Gauteng.
This followed the tragic loss of more than 100 psychiatric patients who had been transferred from Life Esidimeni centres to illequipped NGOs in Gauteng.
Motsoaledi told The Star they wanted to get to the bottom of these cases across the country.
The expansion of the investigation into other provinces is part of the recommendations of the health ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba.
Motsoaledi said they would leave no stone unturned, and wanted to ensure all the groundwork was covered.
He said he had written to the SAHRC to begin with the investigation into other provinces.
SAHRC spokesperson Gushwell Brooks said yesterday they had started with the probes.
“The commission have taken this up and they are looking forward to the investigation,” he said.
He added this would be a nationwide investigation.
“We will do it systematically nationally. In the Eastern Cape, there was a concern because there was a planned movement of patients. Our office there is looking into that,” said Brooks.
He added that they were working on the ombudsman’s report.
Motsoaledi said they needed to ensure they fully implemented the recommendations of Makgoba.
This would cover all the facilities in the country.
The Department of Health did not wants such a tragedy to be repeated.
More than 10 senior officials in Gauteng are on suspension pending disciplinary action against them over the Esidimeni matter.
Former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu quit on the eve of the release of the report early this month.
She has been criticised for not responding quickly when the deaths of patients came to her attention.
Makgoba said that when Mahlangu told the provincial legislature last September that 36 patients had died, more than 77 patients had already passed away by then.
Makgoba said that by November 29, after he had questioned Mahlangu again, she still stuck to the figure of 36 deaths.
This was despite the increasing number of deaths.
Makgoba said they had been discovering more bodies and the number was now well over 100.
He said the figure could rise further. These were not new deaths, but people who had not been found when the report came out.
Motsoaledi said they hoped the number would not be too high. They would ensure every patient was accounted for.