No surprises in N Cape reshuffle

Seen here is Alvin Botes, MEC Social Services addressing the House whilst the empty are seen to the right as the opposition parties boycotted the Legislature proceedings. Picture: Soraya Crowie

Seen here is Alvin Botes, MEC Social Services addressing the House whilst the empty are seen to the right as the opposition parties boycotted the Legislature proceedings. Picture: Soraya Crowie

Published Jun 5, 2013

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Kimberley - The new Premier of the Northern Cape, Sylvia Lucas, on Tuesday finally reshuffled her cabinet, after weeks of speculation.

Although there were talks of a major cabinet shake-up in the days leading up to Lucas’ announcement she, however, opted for minimal changes.

She moved the former MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Patrick Mabilo, to Nature Conservation, which is the portfolio she (Lucas) was in charge of before being elected Premier.

Mabilo will be replaced by Mac Jack as MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison.

Lucas also moved the former MEC for Social Development, Alvin Botes, to the Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) and appointed a new member to her cabinet in the form of Tiny Chotelo, who will replace Botes as MEC for Social Development.

What was not anticipated, however, was Lucas’ decision to remove the former MEC for Coghsta, Kenny Mmoiemang, from her cabinet.

Mmoiemang was yesterday elected and sworn in as the new Speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature, and he takes over from Boeboe van Wyk.

Van Wyk has been deployed as the mayor of the Nama Khoi Municipality in Springbok. The ANC won a fiercely contested by-election in the Nama Khoi Municipality recently.

Earlier, before Lucas reshuffled her cabinet, ANC Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) debated her inauguration speech which she delivered last week during a house sitting.

“Lucas’ inauguration speech showed that the ANC is rooted among the people of the Province. It reflected that we have done good in improving the lives of our people and that can be seen in the party winning the Nama Khoi Municipal by-election,” Botes said.

“The people in the Province still have confidence in the ANC and will continue to vote for the party. Any suggestions that we are losing our grip on the Province are not true.”

He also took a swipe at the opposition parties’ decision to boycott yesterday’s inauguration speech debate and the cabinet reshuffle proceedings.

“The problem with Cope in the Province is that its leaders are uneducated people. Its leader in the Province (Fred Wyngaard) wants to behave like the Auditor-General, but is uneducated.

“We want to appeal to the MEC for Education in the Province, Grizelda Cjiekella, to enrol this leader in the Abet (Adult Basic Education and Training) programme. The ANC will gladly provide this leader with a monthly stipend while he is learning through this programme,” Botes said.

He called on Lucas to implement the Freedom Charter so that the people of the Northern Cape, including the youth, could reap the benefits of economic freedom in their lifetime.

The MEC for Agriculture, Norman Shushu, said that they were confident that the Province was in good hands under Lucas.

“The ANC has delivered the best for its people and it has surpassed the track record of all political parties in the globe in terms of service delivery. We are confident that she will continue to advance the developmental state that we need to ensure that our government deals with the challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment in the Province,” Shushu said.

He called on Lucas to ensure that the skills development of public servants in the Province were enhanced in order to increase the state’s capacity to deliver services to its people.

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