Western Cape Premier Hernus Kriel gets a D for bedevilling race relations by playing the “swart gevaar” tune to keep his white and brown voters happy. The big question is whether the Western Cape’s above-average economic performance is because of him or in spite of him, and whether he can defend the last National Party bastion against the African National Congress.
In Gauteng, Tokyo Sexwale (B) is credited with running a relatively clean and efficient administration, though crime remains a problem. Would have scored full marks had he not mishandled his premature departure from politics. Mankhenkesi Stofile, Eastern Cape premier, has so far failed to turn around the Cinderella of provinces and gets a C, which is appropriate: corruption remains endemic.
In Mpumalanga, corruption scandals overshadowed the good news: a healthy growth rate. Full credit to Premier Mathews Phosa (B) who acted quickly to root out the seemingly endless sleaze. Loses points for his thin skin when it comes to the media.
Northern Province Premier Ngoako Ramathlodi (D) tried to curb rampant bureaucratic overspending but all that emerged was a confusing cabinet reshuffle.
Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi (C) has yet to prove that she can fill the void left in the Free State by Patrick “Terror” Lekota. Popo Molefe (A) has brought relative stability to the North West, where once rabidly rightwing farmers happily help rebuild the province’s rural economy, and he acted swiftly against corruption.
Violence in KwaZulu-Natal diminished, leading to greater economic growth prospects, thanks perhaps in part to Inkatha Premier Ben Ngubane whose pragmatic co-operation with the ANC earns him an A.
Very little of national interest ever happens in the Northern Cape, South Africa’s most sparsely populated province. Premier Mannie Dipico (B) can’t really take the blame for that.