Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool’s removal from office is bad for the provincial government and the City of Cape Town, which has to work with the province, city mayor Helen Zille said on Wednesday.
Rasool’s resignation and replacement by provincial minister of finance and tourism Lynne Brown, with effect from Friday, was announced by African National Congress (ANC) national chairperson Baleka Mbete earlier on Wednesday.
Zille, also Democratic Alliance leader, said Rasool’s resignation is a victory for ANC president ”Jacob Zuma’s faction of the ANC in the Western Cape”.
It also signals the priority the ANC gives power struggles and personal ambitions over service to the people they are supposed to represent.
”This latest upheaval sends a negative message to investors in our city, undermining the core objective of the City of Cape Town to promote economic growth and job creation.
”The move is also likely to worsen the exodus of skilled public servants who are tired of being caught up in political intrigue.
”Why did the Zuma ANC not wait just seven months for the 2009 provincial and national government elections to run for office, and thereby avoid creating unnecessary disruption?
”Instead they have opted for immediate gratification,” Zille said.
However, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the province said the decision to replace Rasool is an important step in getting the party back on track.
Cosatu said the divisions in the Western Cape are unfortunate and have both paralysed the ANC and the government in service delivery, and for this the leadership has to be held to account.
”We believe that the ANC is bigger than any individual and workers will support the ANC irrespective of who the premier and leader is, as is the role of every committed comrade.
”The most important issue is to develop a team spirit that unites our people around the programme of the ANC to win the election and use government to speed up delivery.”
Cosatu also thanked Rasool for his services to the province’s people during his term of office. His contribution to the clothing sector, especially, and the steps to assist the revival of the industry, will be remembered. These have contributed to job creation in this sector.
”We also remember his role in the [United Democratic Front] and liberation struggle where he distinguished himself as a committed son of the soil.”
Rasool should be redeployed elsewhere in government and not ”just discarded”, as he has many talents and much experience, Cosatu said.
Independent Democrats (ID) provincial leader Sakkie Jenner did not think Rasool’s departure would bring to an end the ”divisions and fighting within the ANC”.
”In fact, it is likely that the divisions will now deepen even further. The main concern for the ID is the effect these divisions and the lack of continuity would have on service delivery and the fight against poverty,” Jenner said.
And his Freedom Front Plus counterpart, Corne Mulder, predicted a coalition of opposition parties will govern the Western Cape after next year’s general election.
”The firing of Ebrahim Rasool as premier of the Western Cape by the ANC will not resolve the internal problems of the ANC in the Western Cape.”
”Conflict and factions” within the ANC in the province are not linked to the premier’s position, and go much deeper, he said.
Furthermore, Brown’s appointment will not succeed in keeping the ANC in power after the general election. — Sapa