• The DA leader in the province, Mr James Masango said, “In the department of safety, security and community liaison they have lost a very powerful and hard-working person.
It’s not going to be easy for the newly elected MEC, Mr Petros Ngomane, to fill Shongwe’s shoes.
I can’t say much about the new MEC for social development, Ms Busi Shiba.
I wish Ms Sasekani Manzini all the best as the new MEC for public works and I trust Shongwe will make a huge difference in agriculture”.
• Bushbuckridge Residents Association (BRA) leader, Mr Cleopas Maunye said, “As BRA we welcome the reshuffle made by the premier Mr David Mabuza.
The sacking of Violet Siwela (MEC for human settlements) was long overdue. There is nothing she did in that department since she was sworn in. She had no governance experience and there are no new innovations she brought to the department. For sacking her, we are saying thumbs up to the premier.
We hope that Siwela’s replacement, Mr Speedy Mashilo, will deliver for the department since he has previous governance experience as a mayor of Nkangala District Municipality. He understands governance and we hope he will deliver.
We are a little bit concerned with the appointment of Ms Sasekani Manzini as MEC for public works. The premier has thrown her in the deep end of the sea. We can see if she can swim or not, but we are glad that she is a woman and still young. She has the capabilities to learn”.
* Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) chairperson, Mr Collen Sedibe said the new Mpumalanga cabinet is a recipe for disaster.
He claimed Mabuza only aims to strengthen himself with factions from the ruling party. “Ms Sasekani Manzini is very new and ill-informed in the running of government. She was still on a learning curve and has no experience at all.
“She is failing even to utter a single sentence and what can you expect from her? It is payback time for him and to fulfil his ambition of becoming a deputy-president of the country. This team will push him to that position.
These ones have been tested and are being rewarded. He is rewarding mediocrity. He is still having a very weak executive and a weak legislature.
If he was serious, he would have also removed Mr Gillion Mashego from the health department because he is failing the department,” said Sedibe.
