Gauteng’s new MECs do not inspire confidence

29 May 2019

The new executive council of Gauteng that was appointed by the Premier, Mr David Makhura, does not inspire much confidence for a better future for Gauteng and its people. The only ray of hope is that the former MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, who openly waged a war against mother-tongue education and Afrikaans in particular, has been removed. He has now been placed with Finances and e-government.

Lesufi's placement, however, also creates new uncertainties as he previously showed that he is unable to properly manage his department. He has now once again been appointed in a very important position.

This is problematic as there was, for instance, a lot of confusion regarding the number of schools that had been built in Gauteng under Lesufi's leadership seeing as his statistics differed from the figures provided by Angie Motshekga, the then Minister of Basic Education. The FF Plus will keep a very close eye on him.

It is also lamentable that only black people were appointed in the executive council and that the ANC's statement that government must on all levels be demographically representative of our country's citizens came down to no more than lip service in this case.

White, coloured and Indian people have been pushed aside and it is a clear indication that the ANC has merely transformed into a racial nationalist organisation that only benefits itself and its supporters.

A shining example of the poor quality of the appointments is the re-appointment of Faith Mazibuko at Community Safety from the portfolio of Sport, Art, Culture and Recreation. She is infamous for her racist remarks to senior officials in her former department, which prompted the FF Plus to lodge a complaint against her with the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

It is a shame that the ANC rewards someone who has been found guilty of racist behaviour in this way, but it is probably to be expected of an organisation that has transformed to one that only looks out for the interests of black people and its cadres in particular.

Nonetheless, the FF Plus will cooperate with the new MEC for Education, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, and will try to establish a positive and constructive relationship with her to ensure that the budget is spent effectively and that adequate infrastructure is put in place for education in a province where there is a great demand for mother-tongue education.

That could relieve the pressure on Afrikaans schools to accommodate learners who speak other languages due to a lack of schools in the province. The Department's annual budget is sufficient to ensure that enough new schools are built and that existing schools' infrastructure is maintained so as to avoid another Driehoek tragedy. Lesufi was simply too incompetent to achieve this.

As a new and stronger opposition party, the FF Plus will keep fighting for minorities in the Gauteng provincial Legislature and will also ensure that the ANC provides proper service delivery to everyone in Gauteng.

The ANC's majority of a single seat in the Legislature creates an opportunity for the FF Plus to not only cooperate strategically with other opposition parties to ensure that the ANC does not make poor decisions, but also to carry through its own motions and legislation.

All possible courses of action will be taken to change the ruling party's racial nationalism, as determined by the national democratic revolution, to a management style that is beneficial for Gauteng and all its people.

Issued by Anton Alberts, FF Plus MPL and caucus leader: Gauteng Legislature, 29 May 2019