The African National Congress (ANC) is expected to make an announcement on the reported axing of two premiers later on Tuesday, its spokesperson said.
”The secretary general of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, is having a meeting in Johannesburg this morning [Tuesday] and we will put out a statement after that,” Jessie Duarte said.
Asked if she could confirm a South African Broadcasting Corporation report quoting the ANC’s Western Cape spokesperson Garth Strachan as saying that Premier Ebrahim Rasool will be asked to resign, Duarte replied: ”No, not at the moment”.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape’s Herald newspaper, quoting unnamed sources, reported that its Premier, Nosimo Balindlela, currently in China, would also be axed on Tuesday.
”These things have just been leaked and leaked,” said Duarte. ”We would like to put out one statement and clarify everything.”
The SABC report said the decision to ask Rasool to resign was taken after a meeting of senior ANC national leaders with members of the provincial executive committee in Cape Town on Monday.
The provincial leadership had been informed that Rasool would be asked to resign in the interest of the organisation, to allow the ANC to best prepare for the forthcoming elections.
His successor would be identified after following the necessary procedures, the report said.
The Herald reported that provincial education minister Johnny Makgato and finance minister Billy Nel were also expected to be ”redeployed”, while provincial health minister Nomsa Jajula’s job was on the line.
Its source said President Thabo Mbeki was likely to offer Balindlela a diplomatic posting.
‘We are not going to rush’
The ANC said on Monday it would be sending officials to the Eastern and Western Cape to address problems there.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said the planned visits followed a report by the national executive committee and that steps would be taken to address the problems there.
”We are not going to rush because the media has pre-empted the process,” Mantashe told reporters in Johannesburg.
He said that the information contained in media reports ”may be a product at the end of that process” but added that the nation is ”not going to wake tomorrow without Nosimo or Ebrahim”.
It would involve a ”step-by-step process and resolutions” followed by a decision.
”It remains an internal NEC decision that must be executed in a particular way.”
The NEC said in a statement that it had received a report on a number of provinces where it was necessary to take immediate measures to enhance governance and strengthen the ability of ANC structures to direct the work of government.
”This was particularly important with respect to the Eastern and Western Cape.” – Sapa