ANC set to name premier today
THE ANC was expected to make an announcement on the person it wishes to appoint as premier of North West after the conclusion of its special national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Cape Town today.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe confirmed yesterday that the issue of North West premier would be part of their discussions at a special meeting.
The expected announcement comes while the ANC alliance partners and the ANC Women’s League are divided over who should be the premier of the province.
The SACP, Cosatu and the SA National Civic Organisation want the ANC to retain Job Mokgoro as premier.
They argue that Mokgoro must be allowed to complete his investigation into fraud and corruption totalling almost R2.5 billion.
The ANC Women’s League in North West, however, insists on the appointment of ANC NEC member Pinky Moloi as premier.
North West ANCWL secretary Bridgette Tlhomelang said they had initially proposed three names, which included Moloi, ANCWL secretary-general Meokgo Matuba and North West Legislature Speaker Suzan Dantjie, during their provincial working committee meeting last week.
She said its provincial executive committee meeting last week had agreed to drop the names of Dantjie and Matuba following “a request from our branches” that the duo should be retained as they were reportedly doing sterling work in their current jobs.
Tlhomelang said they had agreed on Moloi, “because she did not associate herself with any of the groupings during the upheavals in North West while comrade Supra Mahumapelo was premier.
“She worked with everybody. Comrade Moloi is a unifier,” Tlhomelang said.
SACP provincial chairperson Smuts Matshe said Mokgoro must be given an opportunity to deal with the rot in the provincial government which he disclosed during his State of the Province Address in February.
In February, Mokgoro revealed that, seven months after he took office, he uncovered fraud and corruption totalling almost R2.5bn – including in his own office.
“The SACP is adamant that Mokgoro must stay on to deal with the rot,” Matshe said.
“Chances are that, if a new appointment is made, such a person would either be clueless about the corruption or would put it under the carpet.
“It is our position that the intervention must continue,” he said.
The SACP said Mokgoro must be allowed to finish what he started – to expose how public resources went into the pockets of individuals.
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The SACP is adamant that Mokgoro must stay on to deal with the rot Smuts Matshe North West SACP