The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says it expects the new Gauteng Cabinet to work with full commitment to support and bring change to workers’ rights.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced his 10-member Cabinet on Wednesday.
Lesufi allocated seven MEC positions to members of his party, the African National Congress (ANC) and one each to the Patriotic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and RISE Mzansi.
Cosatu Gauteng provincial chairperson Amos Monyela says, “We expect the ANC to engage the federation on the program of action, so we expect to engage with all the MECs – the PA MEC and RISE Mzansi – we will be able to engage them without favour.”
“We will call them to Cosatu House to come and address us and tell us what is it that they are going to do for people of Gauteng or workers so that we are ready for anything that comes. And any MEC that does not want to engage with Cosatu rest assured we will make sure they account to Cosatu,” adds Monyela.
DA won’t be part of Gauteng Executive: Hellen Zille
Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Thursday rejected claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the ANC blatantly refused to consider giving them more Cabinet seats.
Lesufi says the DA initially accepted a maximum of three out of 10 Cabinet seats but later turned around to say they wanted five.
However, talks between the two parties on forming a Cabinet deadlocked and the DA did not form part of the Executive of the Gauteng Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) and withdrew from the coalition.
Lesufi says it is unfortunate that they could not reach an agreement in the end.
National Police Commissioner Fanie Masemola says that police will deal decisively with anyone disrupting the elections.
Addressing police officers in Harrismith, Free State, who will be deployed to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, Masemola stressed the need to ensure voter safety in hotspot areas.
Seven hundred additional police officers will assist at various voting stations during the elections, supplementing the 17 000 officers already deployed in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
Masemola urged community members to cooperate with the police during this period.
“The reason is as you are aware with our earlier briefings, we have got over 600 voting stations that are classified as high risk. Well, the figure is not stagnant, it goes up and down but most of those voting stations are found in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, so hence we want to make that in addition to the police that are in that province we have this extra over 500 that are deployed to assist the police in the province,” Masemola said.
Police readiness a day before Elections:
He highlighted Mthatha in the Eastern Cape as a concern due to violent crimes.
“So we carry on in terms of making sure that we enforce the law in that town of Mthatha and we are reinforcing Mthatha with over 300 police who will be there tonight. We expect that their law enforcement will take its course. We expect people to go and vote countrywide. The situation also has been okay.”
Masemola made it clear that any misconduct at voting stations will not be tolerated. “Any intimidation, yes, anybody that blockade or they must take note that we are not going to negotiate with people that blockade roads. We will make sure that we move them by force, so in order to make life easy don’t even do it because it won’t end nicely.”
Additional measures are being put in place in the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu Natal by the government to ensure security as special voting continues.
National Police Commissioner Fanie Masemola says an additional 500 members of Public Order Policing have been deployed to various parts of Kwazulu Natal and Eastern Cape.
“The reason is as you are aware from our earlier briefings we have got over 600 voting stations that are classified by this high risk, well the figure is not stagnant it goes up and down but the majority of those voting stations are found in the province of KwaZulu-Natal so hence we want to make that in addition to the police that are in that province we have this extra over 500 that are deployed to assist the police in the province,” says Masemola
‘Enforce the law’
Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki Cele has called on law enforcement officials to be harsh on those breaking the law.
“The job of the law enforcement officers is to enforce the law and not to negotiate. Negotiate out of the roads, negotiate out of the stations, don’t close the stations, don’t close schools as they did, and close hospitals as they did. You can’t close a hospital and then go and negotiate. Police should not negotiate with people who break the law, they must start by enforcing the law and then they negotiate.”
Earlier on Monday, angry residents in the Eastern Cape blocked the road with debris, tyres and broken bottles.
Their grievances include water and road infrastructure.
The protestors say there has been no water in the rural villages of Mbizana for months.
Police have since cleared the R61 between Mbizana and Magusheni.
This protest is not related to the large-scale taxi strike affecting Mthatha and its surroundings. -Additional reporting by Nkululeko Nyembezi
Growing concern over rise in political assassinations: Godfrey Mulaudzi
He argues that he has been nominated by more than 110 branches as a potential MP ahead of the national election next month. The ANC says Mamabolo has failed to submit documents to confirm he has a matric certificate.
Member of Parliament Mamabolo’s attorney Fundile Sangoni says his removal from the list to Parliament was unlawful. Mamabolo had hoped to challenge the ANC’s decision to adjust his position in the party’s 2024 candidate list, seeking reinstatement to his original ranking. Sangoni says an unknown person within the ANC has changed the order of the candidate list.
” We’ve explained that in all the affidavits that have been put up that in essence the ANC or somebody, an unknown person or body within the ANC has changed the order of the ANC’s list and removed Mr Mamabolo’s name through processes and for reasons that violate the ANC’s own electoral rules. Now that violation we submit has material prejudicial effects against Mr Mamabolo, which needs urgent intervention from the court.”
The ANC’s legal representative Advocate Sydwell Sikwari argued on the legitimacy of Mamabolo’s academic credentials including failing to produce a matric certificate.
“Until they see the certificate, their position is that he does not have matric certificate and the qualification from the University of Johannesburg. They even cast a doubt as to how could he become a legal adviser or complete that qualification. It’s only five courses and with a transcript of the results showing that he did fail some courses and does not show that he later passed those courses.”
However, Mambolo’s lawyer says there is no requirement in terms of the rules that explains that the matric certificate should be attached.
” There are other bases on which you can qualify and, or have the capacity, experience, education, or expertise that will enable them to make a constructive contribution in the relevant legislature or executive. The effect of that is that yes, we prefer you to have a post matric or any of these other things that will enable you to.”
Judge Phanuel Mudau struck the matter off the roll citing lack of urgency.
“I’ve considered the matter, I’m not persuaded, I’m afraid to enrol this matter as an urgent one, and for that reason, this matter stands to be struck off the roll with costs. It is so ordered.”
Mamabolo says he is awaiting a new court date before the elections.
” I welcome the court judgment that the matter is not urgent. We just wanted to expose individuals who tampered with the list because no one can tamper with the will of the branches of the ANC. On election campaign, yes, we are going to campaign for the ANC, I love the organisation.”
Mamabolo’s reaction:
The final candidate list will be published tomorrow.