Limpopo -
Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale has failed the poor and the working class and must be fired, the SA Communist Party in the province said on Friday.
“The immediate answer will be the removal of premier Cassel Mathale and his entire executive council, because all the mess from education, to health and to treasury occurred with their complicity,” said provincial secretary Gilbert Kganyago.
African National Congress provincial spokesman Makonde Mathivha rubbished the SACP's call.
“The SACP doesn't have any right to say that the 1/8Limpopo 3/8 premier of the ANC must resign.”
The SACP's provincial executive committee held a two-day meeting in Polokwane at the weekend.
It discussed issues, such as the late or non-delivery of textbooks to Limpopo schools.
Kganyago said: “Cassel Mathale has become a national embarrassment to the tripartite alliance.”
He said there was no government at provincial level.
“We have seen the collapse of basic services in education, which is epitomised by the textbook crisis.”
Kganyago said there was no visionary leadership on Mathale's part, because he should have planned ahead to make sure it (the mess) did not happen.
“The health system is also in dire straits.”
He said there was no food or medicine for patients.
“Those things are very serious. A delay to remove Mathale is actually worsening and deepening the crisis that our ordinary people are faced with, and it's high time that he must be fired.”
Mathivha said these problems were passed down from previous administrations.
“Any person who says that Mathale must resign, those people are not genuine.”
He said the party was not surprised, as these calls were made by people who “failed to win at the ANC provincial conference in December”.
“We expect these things to happen leading up to Mangaung.” - Sapa