Place Limpopo under administration, or fire premier – opposition parties

Opposition parties in Limpopo have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to place the Limpopo provincial government under administration or fire the province’s Premier Stan Mathabatha.

The call comes just a day before Mathabatha is set to deliver the 6th State of the Province address in Lebowakgomo today.

It also comes just days after Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu announced that none of Mathabatha’s 27 district and local municipalities attained clean audit opinions in the last audits.

The opposition, which includes the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Democratic Alliance and the South African Communist Party (SACP) told The Citizen yesterday that their stance was an informed decision, fuelled by a number of reasons.

“Limpopo has a total of 27 local and district municipalities. Out of the 27, none of them received a clean audit opinion last financial year. The most painful thing is that all of these happens right under Mathabatha’s nose,” said EFF provincial leader, Jossey Buthane.

The EFF is the official opposition in the Limpopo Legislature.

The party said they have expected Mathabatha to know better about the Municipal Finance Management Act and the effect of consequence management.

“We have every reason to believe that Mathabatha is not capable of leading this province. I think it is time the national government intervened to lead Limpopo to greener pastures where it belongs,” said Buthane.

The SACP, together with the ANC, SA National Civic Organisation and Congress of SA Trade Unions, echoed the EFF’s sentiments.

“We don’t agree with Mathabatha’s leadership style. He runs the ANC like his own spaza shop,” said Castro Pilusa district secretary, Dan Mosena yesterday.

Mosena said: “Our premier no longer consults us when taking crucial decisions. He has even not consulted us when appointing his cabinet. The only people he consulted are his business friends, who are hell-bent on milking dry the coffers of the province’s purse.

“Mathabatha must just pack his treasured bags and leave the premier’s office to his Sekhukhune home because it is like he overstayed his welcome.”

SACP provincial spokesperson, Machike Thobejane has pleaded with Mathabatha to work with the SACP and not against it.

“He must just know that he is not bigger than the Alliance and that without it, he will be a former premier.”

– news@citizen.co.za

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