Cassel: Thank you and goodbye

Aexd Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale File photo: Boxer Ngwenya

Aexd Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale File photo: Boxer Ngwenya

Published Jul 15, 2013

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Johannesburg - Former Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale bade an official farewell to his staff, MECs and heads of department at a special urgent meeting held at his office in Polokwane on Monday morning.

Earlier on Monday Mathale released a statement confirming his resignation.

"This is to inform the public that I have handed a letter of resignation as the premier of Limpopo provincial government and as a member of the provincial legislature to the speaker.

"This is in line with the decision of the African National Congress to recall me as the premier of Limpopo province.

"As a loyal and disciplined member of the (ANC) for more than 30 years I have since complied with the decision."

Mathale said his "redeployment" was consistent with the ANC's culture and tradition. He was appointed premier on May 9, 2009.

He listed achievements during his term of office, which included improving the matric pass rate, building 63 123 houses and 15 bridges, providing 1.2 million households with water and electricity, and expanding access to antiretroviral treatment for people with HIV/Aids.

He acknowledged there were still problems, but did not mention that in December 2011 five provincial government departments were placed under administration because of allegations of corruption and gross violation of the Public Finance Management Act.

He also did not mention the scandal in 2012 when it was found that textbooks for certain grades had not been delivered to schools.

Mathale was removed as ANC provincial chairman in April when the party's national executive committee decided to disband the provincial executive committee.

It did so because of "un-ANC behaviour and institutionalised factional conduct". It was replaced by an ANC provincial task team.

Mathale said in his statement that contrary to perceptions, he and the provincial government had acted against corruption and had not interfered with investigations.

"At no stage have we attempted to derail or delay any process of investigation or disciplining any irregular conduct," he said.

"Under all material conditions we have never sought to channel or redirect state resources to pursue any agenda except the noble course of realising the pledges made to our people.

"Therefore, I also leave the office of the premier with my conscience clean that I have never done anything unlawful and un-ANC... Thank you and goodbye."

Public servants who attended the meeting at Mathale’s office told The Star that he had thanked them for their support and urged them to be loyal to whoever succeeded him.

South Africa’s ambassador to Ukraine, Stan Mathabatha, is expected to be named new premier.

Sources said Mathale confirmed that ANC top brass ordered him to resign at the weekend.

He was also told not to appoint an acting premier, a job the ANC said it would do itself.

 

Mathale “looked relaxed” when breaking the news to his staff and officials, a senior public servant said.

“He looked like he had already given in. He said he was also told not to appoint an acting premier. There will be a special sitting of the provincial legislature tomorrow. We hear he is going to be an MP. But he did not discuss his future plans with us,” a source added.

According to sources, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe ordered Mathale to cut short his holiday on Thursday and fly home from Italy to receive the news.

The beleaguered premier apparently avoided the ANC leader’s calls in the days after President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle last week.

Sources said Mathabatha had also been told to fire three MECs close to Mathale.

They are provincial Treasury MEC David Masondo, Human Settlements MEC Clifford Motsepe and Economic Development MEC Pinky Kekana. The trio are expected to be replaced by Limpopo ANC task team chairman Philemon Mdaka, treasurer Thembi Nwedamutswu and deputy secretary Stan Motimele.

Mathale’s resignation letter was written a day after ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa told The Star that Mathale’s premiership had to be “looked at”.

North West Premier Thandi Modise and Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet are expected to meet the same fate.

A close confidant of Mathale said on Sunday that the premier drafted the letter after driving to his home village of Dan, outside Tzaneen, to inform his family and relatives. He had earlier informed his MECs about his sacking.

Another source said Mantashe and Mathale had met in the VIP section of OR Tambo International Airport. “Mathale arrived at 10pm and Gwede was waiting for him there. Gwede was alone.

“He was so desperate to act against Mathale that he travelled all the way from his home (in Boksburg) to OR Tambo at 10pm.”

When contacted for comment on Sunday, Mantashe would neither confirm nor deny meeting Mathale at the airport or ordering him to resign.

 

He refused to comment on specific questions, saying he couldn’t respond to anonymous sources.

 

Meanwhile, sources close to Mathale said he would contest the position of Limpopo ANC chairman at a conference in December.

He lost the position when the ANC national executive committee disbanded the provincial executive committee he led in March.

“His popularity is growing. Mathale is going to contest for the chairpersonship. He is being treated as a victim, and any victim wins.

“Even worse, their people are fighting,” said a source close to Mathale.

Mathale, who took over as premier in 2009, becomes the second Limpopo premier not to finish his term.

His predecessor, Sello Moloto, was forced to step down in January 2009 after losing the provincial ANC chairmanship to Mathale.

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The Star and Sapa

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