Cape Town - Speaking for the first time after Premier Alan Winde announced he will no longer be his adviser, Bongikosi Madikizela said that losing out on his expertise was the provincial government’s loss.
The disgraced politician and businessman said the Western Cape government would have gained a valuable person had he taken the position as adviser to the premier.
The former provincial DA leader and MEC had declined the position offered to him by Winde. Madikizela admitted that the noise and pressure that followed the premier’s announcement was too much. He felt he had to turn the job down.
“I sat down with the premier and told him it was not worth it,” he told the Weekend Argus. “I know opposition (parties) talk and it is their job to do so but after the noise. I decided to remain in the private sector. I looked at the kind of work I have been doing since I left office and decided to carry on with it.”
Madikizela resigned both as MEC and provincial leader of the DA after he admitted to lying about his qualifications. Almost a year later, Winde announced his intention to appoint Madikizela as his advisor on a level-four salary close to R2 million.
But the salary package was blocked and decreased to R1.7m after the Department of Public Service & Administration declined an application for him to be paid that amount.
“I know I was going to add value in that position given the experience that I have. I have worked in the office of the mayor, human settlements department and in public works dealing with the taxi industry.”
Madikizela has three companies that are in the consultancy, transport and property sectors. He said he remained an active member of the DA in his branch and his political days were far from over.
“I am still young and I will definitely come back to politics.”
Good Part MP Brett Herron welcomed the decision, saying the planned comeback to earn off the public purse was a terribly bad idea.
“It was defiant and arrogant to think he could come back just months after being outed for claiming a qualification he didn’t have and for having been found guilty of lying to the legislature and breaching the Executive Ethics Act.”
He added this was clearly a job-for-pals scenario or what the DA calls “cadre deployment” when others do it.
“Madikizela is not qualified to give special advice. He has no special or professional skills – his skills are political and the premier should never have proposed that the public purse should pay for political advice.
“These special adviser roles should be used to provide political leaders in executive office with technical and professional advice they need to govern effectively.”
Winde announced that Madikizela would no longer be taking the position of adviser to his office after announcing changes to his cabinet yesterday.
Winde told Weekend Argus: “Bongi is not going to take the position as an adviser. He has got some business interests at the moment; he is still involved in the DA.”
Winde changed the names of the portfolios and incorporating some. Human settlements was changed to infrastructure. Transport and public works was changed to mobility while community safety was changed to Community Safety and Police Oversight.
The most talked-about vacancy left by sacked Albert Fritz was given to Reagan Allen.
Allen is no stranger to the portfolio as he was the DA Western Cape spokesperson on community safety.
Outgoing Education MEC Debbie Schaffer will be replaced by David Maynier from May 15. Schaffer announced her resignation on Thursday for a post in the UK where she will work in the legal sector.
Mireille Wenger will be MEC of Finance and Economic Opportunities from May 15.
Tertuis Simmers was appointed to the Infrastructure portfolio which will consist of the department of human settlements, and components of the department of transport and public works.
Allen said his priority as MEC of Community Safety and Police Oversight was to deliver on the promise that the premier made in the safety plan he announced during his state-of-the province address. “My priority is to land the safety plan in looking at violence prevention working with the minister of health and wellness.”
Weekend Argus