‘Premier can’t be trusted’
JOBURG – DA questions Makhura's handling of the Esidimeni tragedy, FF+ slams his stance on e-tolls, while EFF questions the decision to deliver the State of the Province Address in Randfontein.
Premier David Makhura’s failure to account for the deaths of 100 Life Esidimeni psychiatric patients sparked a backlash by opposition Members of the Provincial Legislature during a debate on his State of the Province Address on 23 February.
The patients died after being transferred from the health facility.
The DA’s John Moody said the party would table a motion of no confidence in Makhura’s premiership if he did not agree to resign. “What will forever be known as the Esidimeni tragedy occurred over a period of many months. This proves that the statement I made last year was indeed correct – that if the lives of our people, especially the vulnerable, [were] cheap under the apartheid regime, the same is true under the ANC regime.”
The EFF’s Mandisa Mashego criticised Makhura’s decision to hold the address in Randfontein. “What was the reason [for doing] that? That was just wasteful and fruitless expenditure of taxpayers’ money.” She said the address should have been held in the Legislature; that Makhura’s pledge to increase jobs in the province was misleading; and that the premier’s decision to take over the small-business development Jozi@Work programme was a sign of ANC patronage.
Phillip van Staden of the Freedom Front Plus, said Makhura had failed to intervene even after problems in provincial hospitals became known. He said the premier should have fired former health MEC Qedani Mahlangu sooner, rather than waiting for the ombudsman’s report and the MEC’s voluntary resignation.
Regarding the controversial e-tolls, Van Staden said Makhura – by announcing that the national government must find a solution to e-tolls – had turned his back on the people of Gauteng, and he should have told the minister and president that e-tolls would be scrapped. “The Premier can’t be trusted. His actions show that he does not care about Gauteng residents. He only cares about being elected as ANC national secretary in November at Luthuli House.”
Van Staden said his party was not asking for the Premier’s resignation, but that he and Mahlangu should be held ‘legally accountable for the blood of innocent and vulnerable people that is on their hands’.
ANC members praised Makhura’s speech and used the opportunity to outline plans for their different departments and portfolios.
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