YCLSA calls for Zuma to fire on merit

President Jacob Zuma Picture: Jeffery Abrahams

President Jacob Zuma Picture: Jeffery Abrahams

Published Sep 19, 2016

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Johannesburg - Deadwood ministers should not be spared the axe if President Jacob Zuma goes ahead with the rumoured purge to target SACP leaders in his bloated cabinet, the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) has said.

It defended its SACP leaders serving in the government, saying they were doing “exceptionally well” compared with their counterparts, and their removal would be tantamount to looting the state.

The leaders include SACP general secretary and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davis, and Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi and his deputy Jeremy Cronin.

The YCLSA said it wanted the reshuffle to be done on merit and hinted which ministers they wanted on the chopping block. They are Mosebenzi Zwane (Mineral Resources), Nomvula Mokonyane (Water and Sanitation) and David Mahlobo (State Security).

YCLSA national secretary Mluleki Dlelanga said Zwane had “reduced himself to being a Gupta spokesman” and Mahlobo had failed to gather intelligence on arson at schools in Vuwani, Limpopo.

Zwane recently came under fire for issuing a statement saying the cabinet had recommended to Zuma that a judicial commission of inquiry be held into the banks that terminated their contracts with the Gupta family, Zuma’s close friends. But this was contradicted by the Presidency, leading to the DA calling for Zwane to resign. The YCLSA also called on Zuma to fire Zwane.

Dlelanga said Mokonyane, who was embroiled in tender irregularities relating to the Lesotho Water Highlands Project, was failing in her duties.

The SACP had called for Zuma’s powers to be curbed if he continued reshuffling his ministers on a factional basis.

On Sunday, Dlelanga said the league was not afraid of the rumoured reshuffle and hinted that it would respond accordingly after the purge.

He was briefing the media in Joburg following its national committee meeting at the weekend.

The league lashed out at the “political agenda” against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, and called on Zuma to prove South African Revenue Service commissioner Tom Moyane’s fitness to hold office.

Moyane allegedly failed to act on corruption allegations levelled against his second in command, Jonas Makwakwa, opting to assist the Hawks in their purported proxy war with Gordhan, over the so-called rogue spy unit he is said to have helped set up during his time as Sars commissioner. Makwakwa was suspended last week over alleged unusual payments to his bank account.

Dlelanga accused the Guptas of wanting to capture Sars to protect the “illicit flow of their ill-gotten profits”.

The business family have denied the allegations of corporate capture of the state.

The YCLSA expressed concerns about the paralysis of state-owned enterprises, including SAA, arms manufacturer Denel and the SABC. The SOEs had been “plunged into crisis as a result of poor leadership and a preoccupation with large-scale looting”.

Dlelanga said the YCLSA doubted Dudu Myeni’s capabilities to transform SAA for the benefit of the country. Myeni is close to Zuma and her reappointment as SAA board chairwoman has been criticised by opposition political parties and civil society.

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@luyolomkentane

The Star

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