Lucas, Saul ‘fight for leadership gets dirty’

Premier moved 10 MECs in recent reshuffling

The fight between ANC factions in the Northern Cape has spiled into government, with premier Sylvia Lucas reshuffling her cabinet on the eve of the party’s elective conference.

The move had been directly linked to the fight over the position of chairperson between Lucas and provincial secretary Zamani Saul.

Those purged are, according to sources in the province, linked to Saul who is the front-runner in the race.

The gloves are off in the fight in the province even though it is among the smallest voting blocks in the party’s national conference where it will choose a successor to President Jacob Zuma in December.

The Northern Cape conference kicks off today and is expected to be addressed by deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, who Saul is likely to back in December. Lucas is close to Zuma and is likely to support his preferred candidate, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, for now. Attempts to stall the conference by individuals allied to Lucas failed this week after they travelled to Johannesburg from Kimberley to seek intervention from Luthuli House.

The ANC in the province released a harsh statement yesterday, saying it was “disgusted” by the reshuffle, which Lucas has failed to consult the party and it’s allies. Lucas’ office said the reshuffle was done through “applying her mind and consultation with her individual MECs”.

Lucas moved 10 MECs, among which two were removed. Saul in a statement on behalf of the ANC in the province said the reshuffle entangled the government in party politics.

“The reshuffling has got nothing to do with improving service delivery but has everything to influence the outcome of conference. This is grossly irresponsible, reckless and self-serving. This tact is fallacious and deeply entangles the provincial government in the organisational politics of the ANC,” the statement read.

He warned that there would be consequences for the reshuffle.