Gauteng ANC to meet party’s Top 6 about dropping one male MEC

The ANC in Gauteng is set to hold a series of meetings over the weekend as it grapples with the decision to drop one male member from Premier David Makhura’s executive.

The provincial ANC in Gauteng did not follow a resolution taken by the party’s national executive committee – which is its highest decision-making body in between conferences – for provinces with male premiers to appoint more women in their executives.

Makhura produced a 50/50 split.

Provincial secretary Jacob Khawe told News24 that discussions were still underway on the issue, after the ANC in Gauteng was told to rectify its decision.

“We have a marathon of meetings from now, through the weekend until Monday, where we will meet with the national office bearers,” he told News24.

Khawe said the ANC in the province would sit down with its alliance partners, the leagues.

He said the ideal outcome would be to retain the status quo, otherwise they would need to debate over who should be removed.

Makhura has to decide between Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo, who represents the SACP; Gauteng Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Cogta MEC Lebogang Maile, who many of the young members of the party wanted to see ascending to the second in command in Gauteng; the ever popular Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi; and former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, who is MEC of economic development.

“For the meeting with office bearers, we are taking motivation of how we got here and seeking their wisdom in the event of removing a person, so we know where we can place the person,” said Khawe.

He said the ANC was hoping to get an endorsement from its alliance partners and leagues over who to cut.

He denied reports that Mamabolo was likely to be kicked out, insisting he believed the status quo worked and provided Gauteng residents with vast skills in their government’s bid to deliver services.

“Each name represents a particular imperative… we also have to think about the stability of governance,” said Khawe.

He told News24 that MECs had been given tasks to complete within their first 100 days of office and that they were wary of chopping one before they even got a chance to achieve their goals.

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