The African National Congress in the Western Cape has confirmed that Premier Ebrahim Rasool will be asked to resign, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday.
ANC spokesperson Garth Strachan said this followed 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 will be identified after following the necessary procedures, the report said.
Weekend newspapers broke the story, and in addition to Rasool, said that Eastern Cape premier Nosimo Balindlela also faced the sack.
‘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