David "DD" Mabuza's days as premier of Mpumalanga appear to be numbered as the ANC head office loses patience with his beleaguered administration. The ruling party has sent a sub-committee of its national executive committee (NEC) to the province to investigate complaints, including multimillion-rand government tenders which appear to be at the root of a fall-out.
An embattled Mabuza already suffered a huge blow when the ANC blocked his plans for a cabinet reshuffle. According to reliable party insiders, Mabuza was chastised by Luthuli House a week ago after he planned to reshuffle his cabinet and get rid of individuals who refused to toe his line. One of Mabuza's intended targets was Fish Mahlalela, the provincial chairman of the standing committee on public accounts. Mahlalela is believed to be investigating financial mismanagement by Mabuza's administration.
Top party officials said this week that plans to remove the powerful Mpumalanga premier - also known as the Hurricane - were well under way. The ANC's sub-committee, which is headed by NEC member Malusi Gigaba, is understood to be fed up with the "state of paralysis in the province". The sub-committee, after meeting regions and branches of the ANC in the province, will apparently recommend to ANC headquarters that Mabuza be recalled immediately for failing to show leadership.
This week the Democratic Alliance added fuel to the fire when it called for Mabuza's resignation after he denounced crime and corruption in his state of the province address but made no mention of a spate of murders and the purported existence of a hit-list of ANC officials. The hit-list, which is apparently linked to World Cup tender disputes, is now the subject of an official police investigation and has caused panic among politicians and government officials. Mabuza is further accused of failing to deal with tender irregularities.
The dissatisfaction with his leadership is further evident in a letter sent by ANC members to President Jacob Zuma in September last year, in which they accused him of ignoring glaring irregularities brought to his attention in a range of government departments. Mabuza is no stranger to controversy. In 1998 he resigned in disgrace as Mpumalanga MEC for education after his department illegally inflated the province's matric pass rate to 72.5% from 46%. While he was MEC for agriculture, he is alleged to have authorised the awarding of a R210-million tender to a company owned by his former wife, Ruth Silinda, even though her company had been suspended. Eyebrows have also been raised over the recent awarding of a R232-million tender to the Sizwengendaba-Laeveld Trekkers joint venture for the provision and maintenance of farm mechanisation and equipment in rural communities.
According to senior ANC members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the provincial ANC Youth League, the MK Military Veterans' Association and ANC branches and regions are on the verge of open rebellion against Mabuza. But ANC spokesman Paul Mbenyane said he was not aware of any plans to remove Mabuza. "Our position is that DD Mabuza remains chairman of the ANC in Mpumalanga. He's got our full support," he said. "Structures of the ANC have the right to raise their problems about Mabuza with Luthuli House."
Mabuza's spokesman, Mabutho Sithole, also dismissed talk that Mabuza would be removed. "There are people who are spreading lies about the premier for their own personal gain," said Sithole.
Source: Times Live
No comments:
Post a Comment