Johannesburg – The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Gauteng has welcomed the rejection of the vote of no confidence against Premier David Makhura which was tabled by the DA in the legislature on Tuesday.
SACP deputy provincial secretary Sekete Moshoeshoe said his party welcomed the overwhelming and “decisive defeat of the racially polarised, right-wing opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, in a motion of no confidence against Premier David Makhura”.
The DA tabled the motion in the Gauteng provincial legislature, claiming that Makhura was implicated in the issuing of the R2.2 billion personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders irregularly.
DA caucus leader Solly Msimanga said a South Gauteng High Court in Joburg had found that Makhura’s office had directed officials in the provincial health department to give PPE tenders to certain companies and individuals known to them.
The DA had initially claimed Makhura was personally involved in the tender irregularities, but changed the context of the allegations when they tabled the motion in the legislature. After voting, Msimanga was quick to concede defeat.
Following the outcome of the voting, Moshoeshoe said: “We commend the African National Congress (ANC) caucus in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) for its unity to defend the ANC-led government against desperate acts of revivalism by the almost defunct DA.
“The SACP is of the firm belief that the political basis and premise of the motion of no confidence was rendered obsolete and antiquated by the timely judgment that cleared Premier Makhura of any wrongdoing in the allegations related to procurement irregularities in the Gauteng Department of Health.
“In this regard, the motion of no confidence was frivolous since it was based on a complete misunderstanding of the provisions of the country’s constitution as it relates to the roles and responsibilities of the Executive, Accounting Officers, and the conduct of officials and the oversight function of the political leadership of the Departments,” Moshoeshoe said.
He said the SACP believes that Makhura had fully discharged his political oversight responsibilities in the most remarkable and commendable manner when directing law enforcement authorities to conduct full investigations to determine a cause of action whenever such allegations rear their ugly head.
“Such decisive leadership constitutes the pinnacle and profound practice in pursuit of the ideals of the ethically and morally capable developmental state. This political oversight, we believe, was exercised without fear, favour or prejudice and in the most deliberate and decisive manner.
“To this end, we call on the ANC caucus to sustain and cement the unity displayed as the founding principle of the entire revolutionary movement at all material times to continue to discharge the historic mission of advancing, defending and deepening the National Democratic Revolution.
“It is only through unity that our entire revolutionary movement can deploy the organs of the democratic state to eradicate poverty, unemployment and inequalities,” Moshoeshoe said.
Political Bureau