Crosses were drawn as the people X sê-ed and as a result the elections outcomes have catapulted South Africa onto a prognosticated trajectory into the future. Zooming into Limpopo it is evident that the ruling party is under pressure now more than before to produce the X factor, that variable that will ensure ultimate impact when applying the mind to spending patterns maximising on the utilisation of taxpayers’ money and the delivery of services during the next five-year term.
Whether the African National Congress (ANC) is capable of dropping into positions men and women of the fabric required to competently steer Limpopo through the half decade ahead stands to be challenged.
Already prior to current Premier Stan Mathabatha having been nominated as his party’s Premier candidate and Monday’s announcement that he was being retained in the position, there was growing speculation about the choice of party leaders to serve in a newly constituted provincial cabinet. As could be expected the new national cabinet line-up to be introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mathabatha’s Executive Council (Exco) – likely to contain a few surprises but also include old faithfuls and new brooms expected to promise a clean sweep once taking over – were anticipated in equal measure.
With 8 May having been the most hotly contested elections ever since the break of a new dawn in South Africa, the heat is on. Limpopo’s was a fierce battle for 49 Legislature seats that saw the ANC claiming 38 positions, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) getting one more by securing seven places and remaining the official opposition in the province, the Democratic Alliance (DA) retaining its three places and the Vryheidsfront Plus (VF Plus) booting out the Congress of the People (Cope) to take up their space.
In terms of the results the same party whose representatives were seen to have faltered in the past, that had stumbled over its own feet and got the slothful elephant back up again was granted another attempt at running the show in eight of South Africa’s nine provinces.
Whether the ruling party in Limpopo is capable of keeping that show on the road without casualties or fatalities being registered along the way was dissected by their staunchest opponents when approached for their opinion. In so doing it was evident that the jovial atmosphere witnessed among role players during Sunday’s announcement of results by the Electoral Commission (IEC) in Limpopo at Peter Mokaba Stadium was forgotten. It was business, and politics, as usual.
In an interview EFF Provincial Secretary Jossey Buthane said the government in Limpopo was on auto pilot. “This government doesn’t have a plan on where to take this province,” he said in the context of the economy being dead, youth being left behind and disabled people not employed or empowered. Beyond that Limpopo returned billions to Treasury, money meant to build houses in a province where people still slept out in the open in the rainy season and pit toilets were still in operation, he said. “The political leadership is not there. They brought back the person who killed the province, but in the ANC it depends on which faction you belong to.” He mentioned that Mathabatha’s name was forwarded for Premier along with that of current MECs Rob Tooley and Nandi Ndalane, who didn’t stand a chance of being considered for the position. Buthane alleged that politicians serving in Mathabatha’s cabinet have squandered money earmarked for service delivery without action being taken.
The ANC’s days in Limpopo were seriously numbered, he reckoned and continued to remark that the EFF entered into every election with the intention of taking over. The EFF campaign in preparation for the 2021 local government elections has already started, according to Buthane who expressed the expectation that the party would achieve considerable improvement in terms of outcomes in the elections.
They would continue to focus on issues related to land, the economy, health, education, housing and job creation as well as the fight against corruption, Buthane indicated and concluded saying they have already started to turn up the heat in the Legislature kitchen.
DA Provincial Leader Jacques Smalle expressed the opinion that the ANC didn’t have a track record of clean governance, that accountability was non-existent and that there has never been transparent governance in Limpopo. Smalle referenced R15 billion not having been accounted for across departments and institutions during the 2014-19 term under Mathabatha’s watch. He, however, added that he would give the ruling party the benefit of the doubt during the next five-year term.
He raised the matter that Mathabatha had never taken action against any of his colleagues implicated in any report in the past, adding that the party’s new Legislature candidates expected to be sworn in next week would include leaders implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank case. He predicted that no steps were going to be taken to hold anyone responsible in that regard. “It would be interesting to see if they would be man enough to rise for justice,” he concluded.
Vryheidsfront Plus Provincial Leader Marcelle Maritz, who would be representing her party in the Legislature for the duration of the new term, said in general the ANC was not good at governing the country. She said she was thankful for being granted the role of watchdog in the Legislature and would endeavour to address matters, of which health-related issues and corruption were top priority in her view. Maritz reiterated the importance of minority as well as equal rights which, she stressed, determined that people were acknowledged within processes without demanding special treatment. Obtaining a Legislature seat was a momentous occasion for the party and its voters, who were hopeful about the future and had realised every vote counted, she added.
ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) spokesperson Donald Selamolela answered on behalf of the party during an interview coinciding with the start of a victory celebration hosted in front of Frans Mohlala House on Tuesday.
He expressed support accorded to them during the past elections and continued saying in the spirt of business unusual they were going to step up their game as far as service delivery was concerned and would be raking in government to ensure that they never had the challenges raised going into their campaign. They have also apologised to their people where they had not done well, committed that they were not taking their votes for granted, were going to do everything in their power to ensure government delivered and crack the whip on government and every official seen to be sleeping on duty, Selamolela said.
On concerns about corruption he commented that the ANC had done everything in their power to fight crime and corruption. They had a track record in relation to acting on corruption and any related matter, but had to do it within the context and premise of the law, according to Selamolela. They were not going to be deterred on acting on graft, corruption and crime, he emphasised and added that they were on track so far as their war against crime and corruption was concerned. They were not worried about what the opposition parties were saying but rather about their people’s appreciation for the journey travelled in fighting corruption. They had made a commitment to up the game and was going to do exactly that, he stated.
He referred to the ANC in Limpopo congratulating Mathabatha on having been reaffirmed as Premier-elect, with the track record of what he has been able to achieve in the province being clear. They were very happy with how Mathabatha was leading the provincial government but also as party provincial chairperson and welcomed his contribution to the organisation, he concluded saying.
In the meantime a bash of note had erupted in the street below. Big screens rotated flashing visuals, Mathabatha delivered a message of gratitude to party supporters and artists entertained scores of excited revellers, who didn’t need any invitation to enter into a dance of defeat to celebrate the win of the political rulers in Limpopo and the rest of the country.
By then the plea for patience until Mathabatha’s pronouncement of names of preferred party leaders to serve in his provincial cabinet had made it to social media platforms.
Story & photos: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com
