THURSDAY, 2.00PM
GAUTNEG Premier Tokyo Sexwale, who recently confoiremd his intention to quit politics, on Thursday said he will resign as premier in 1998.
Sexwale said his resignation becomes effective in January next year He added that he will remain chairman of the African National Congress in Gauteng until the end of 1998.
ANC provincial executive member Paul Mashatile said a new premier will be announced at the end of August.
Sexwale said the decision to quit as premier before his term was up was not an impulsive one, and that he had consulted President Nelson Mandela and the ANC’s provincial executive about the matter. He said it is too early to speculate which private sector company he will be joining, but he confirmed that since speculation about his future had started a month ago, he had received numerous offers.
Regarding speculation about his possible successor, Sexwale said provincial MECs Paul Mashatile, Jabu Moleketi and Amos Masondo — who had been tipped as successors in news reports — should not react or make their intentions known publicly before discussing their availability with the provincial leadership.