Northern Cape premier told to ‘rescind’ her cabinet reshuffle

Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas will rescind her recent provincial cabinet reshuffle after she was ordered to do so by the new leadership of the ANC in the province.

This is according to ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga.

“As the ANC we want to reemphasise that the ANC is and remains the strategic centre of power, and all strategic decisions must be taken in consultation with the ANC,” Ngxanga said.

Just before the recently held provincial elective conference, Lucas reshuffled finance MEC Mac Jack and transport MEC Pauline Williams from her cabinet.

READ MORE: NC premier fires foes, appoints loyalists on eve of ANC elective conference

The provincial conference was addressed by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was also endorsed as the province’s choice for ANC president. Lucas declined nomination and lost the provincial chairmanship to former secretary Zamani Saul.

The ANC, at the time, described Lucas’ reshuffle that happened a few hours before the provincial conference kicked off as “flagrant abuse of her [Lucas] office to further divide the ANC”.

“Her unbridled arrogance is a betrayal of trust with the ANC,” the party said in a statement.

Ngxanga further said “no reshuffling of executives, be it at municipal or provincial level, must take place without consultation. This principle applies to everyone deployed in strategic positions, and the ANC does not plan to change its position on this matter”.

The premier, through her spokesperson Bronwyn Thomas-Abrahams, said in a statement that “the premier today agreed to rescind her recent Cabinet reshuffle after having met and briefed the top 6 officials of the ANC as well as the provincial leadership”.

“A decision was taken that the reshuffle be reversed after it was found that proper consultation was not engaged upon. The Premier accepted it as such and will abide by the decision,” she said.

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