Creecy shines in DA’s Gauteng ratings

488 08.10.2013 MEC for Education Barbara Creecy, answering questions from the DA at the Gauteng legislature. Picture: Itumeleng English

488 08.10.2013 MEC for Education Barbara Creecy, answering questions from the DA at the Gauteng legislature. Picture: Itumeleng English

Published Jan 15, 2014

Share

Johannesburg - The DA in Gauteng has rated the province’s MEC for Education, Barbara Creecy, top performer in Premier Nomvula Mokonyane’s cabinet.

She scored 7 out of 10 points.

MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko was rated worst – obtaining 1 out of 10.

Mokonyane dropped by one point compared to last year, getting 4 points. Her Finance MEC, Mandla Nkomfe, dropped two points to score a 3. MEC for Infrastructure Development Qedani Mahlangu was rated a 2.

MEC for Local Government and Housing Ntombi Mekgwe, Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza and MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture Lebogang Maile each rated as a 4.

MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi and MEC for Economic Development Eric Xayiya each got a bittersweet rating, meaning they received praise and condemnation in equal measure. The DA gave both of them a grading of 5.

DA caucus leader Jack Bloom released the ratings on Tuesday.

He said Creecy scored a 7 for consistently increasing the matric pass rate in the province.

Despite coming third nationally, Gauteng increased its pass rate to 87 percent last year. This was an increase of 3.1 percentage points on 2012’s results.

Bloom said Creecy had made effective interventions such as the Secondary School Intervention Programme.

She had increased the number of no-fee schools and taken effective action to improve school security.

“She does not score better because of her failure to cur- tail the high dropout rate, including the 43 percent of Grade 10 pupils who do not get to write their matric,” according to Bloom.

“There are also unfilled principal posts, and gaps in scholar transport and in the school feeding scheme.”

The only MEC who came closer to Creecy was Hope Papo, the political boss of the Health Department.

Papo became MEC for health in July 2012 following a cabinet reshuffle in the provincial legislature.

Despite Papo being in office for a short time compared to most others, the DA found that he was very responsive to queries.

It also found that he faced harsh realities of a “deep-seated rot” in the department, “which has been mismanaged for many years”.

Papo scored 6 out of 10.

He had made progress in tightening up financial controls and vastly reducing the more than R4 billion outstanding payments to suppliers, but payment disputes continued and most payments were not made within the required 30-day period.

Bloom said: “Papo is badly let down by the Infrastructure Development Department, which has failed to complete the Jabulani and New Natalspruit hospitals and underspends in crucial areas.”

There was also an improvement in the distribution of medicines since Papo took over.

Bloom was very critical of Mokonyane, Nkomfe, Mahlangu and Mazibuko.

He said Mokonyane had failed to reduce the 400 000 unemployment figure she promised to deal with in May 2009. He also accused her of not dealing decisively with corrupt officials.

Bloom said Nkomfe was responsible for the Gauteng Online fiasco of the past 10 years, and the tender was going to be extended for another five years despite more than R3bn having been wasted on it.

Mahlangu was lambasted for the delay in the opening of the Jabulani and New Natalspruit hospitals, while Mazibuko apparently scored less because of her ongoing battles with DA spokeswoman on community safety Kate Lorimer.

Vadi was blamed for not spending his entire budget in the G-fleet, and Maile was accused of “dispensing political patronage” and hiring dysfunctional ANC cadres in government agencies.

Mekgwe was blamed for the continuing service delivery protests in Bekkersdal.

[email protected]

The Star

Related Topics: