Nomvula Paula Mokonyane was sworn in as the fifth premier of Gauteng on Wednesday, the first woman to occupy this position.
”The responsibility ahead is immense, but I will stand up to the task,” Makonyane said, after taking the oath for her new office.
She said she was grateful and humbled at the confidence shown in her.
Makonyane said the province in the next five years would create more work by continuing to grow the economic focus on key sectors that would help achieve job creation.
”We will strengthen early childhood development to ensure that we produce a child that can participate in the economy and the development of society.”
She would ensure that the people of Gauteng received quality health care and she would fight corruption and crime. She would also focus on rural development by supporting small farmers and ensuring that people worked the land.
”We will leave no stone unturned in the fight against corruption and there will be performance assessments to ensure that every member of the executive delivers,” she said. Mokonyane was nominated by former Gauteng premier Paul Mashatile and the nomination was seconded by MP Lindiwe Maseko.
”We the undersigned nominate Nomvula Paula Mokonyane for the position of premier of Gauteng,” Mashatile told the house in Johannesburg.
There were no other nominations and therefore Mokonyane was declared the premier of the Gauteng province just after 10.30am.
Mokonyane and Mashatile hugged after the declaration and the house broke into ululation and applause.
Mashatile has been occupying the position of premier since Mbhazima Shilowa resigned in October last year in protest against the African National Congress’s (ANC) recall of then president Thabo Mbeki.
It was expected that after the April 22 elections Mashatile would retain his post as premier but the ANC’s national executive committee announced Makonyane as the preferred candidate. Mashatile congratulated Mokonyane and said the ANC had not just elected a woman, but a capable woman.
”Comrade Nomvula has my full support and the support of our movement.
”I am humbled to be handing over the reins to the honourable cadre of our movement who has served in several positions with distinction. I have no doubt that she will deliver,” he said.
When she was asked about two centres of power, since Mashatile was the chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng and she was his deputy, Makonyane said: ”I don’t think there would be a situation of two centres of power in Gauteng, Mashatile remains the chairperson of the ANC in the province.
And I am the deputy chairperson and the premier. We will work as a collective, not as individuals.” She declined to say where Mashatile would be placed in her new executive.
Everybody would have to wait for her to announce the members of her executive on Friday, she said.
Mashatile was sworn in earlier on Wednesday as a member of the Gauteng legislature, ending speculation he might get a place in the National Assembly.
Maseko was officially elected as the speaker of the provincial legislature and in turn she presided over the election of her deputy, Stewart Ngwenya.
KZN legislature
In KwaZulu-Natal Zweli Mkhize was on Wednesday elected as the fifth KwaZulu-Natal premier since the first democratic elections in 1994.
He was elected by the majority of KwaZulu-Natal’s 80-member legislature at the legislature complex in Pietermaritzburg.
Mkhize, the ANC’s provincial chairperson, trounced the Democratic Alliance’s John Steenhuisen by 68 votes to seven. There were four spoilt votes and one member did not vote. The Independent Electoral Commission monitored proceedings.
Addressing the legislature, Mkhize said the government’s priority in the next five years would be improving service delivery, and fighting poverty, unemployment, crime and corruption. The government would also promote rural development, and revamp health and education.
Mkhize congratulated Jacob Zuma ahead of his certain election as South Africa’s next president in the National Assembly later on Wednesday.
He also paid tribute to his predecessor Sbu Ndebele for ”a job well done as premier”.
”He conducted himself in a manner that bestowed dignity to the office of the first citizen of our province. He leaves behind a catalogue of achievements and a wonderful camaraderie among colleagues and comrades.”
Mkhize, the former provincial finance minister, is expected to announce his new Cabinet on Monday at his inauguration.
Previous premiers were Frank Mdlalose, Ben Ngubane and Lionel Mtshali of the Inkatha Freedom Party. In 2004, the ANC attracted the most votes and formed a government with Ndebele as premier. After finishing his term, Ndebele was sworn in as an MP in the national Parliament.
Earlier on Wednesday, visibly excited new members, mainly from the ANC, were waiting outside the legislature in Pietermaritzburg for the start of the ceremony.
Former provincial health minister Peggy Nkonyeni was elected speaker, and former provincial agriculture minister Mtholephi Mthimkhulu as deputy speaker. Nkonyeni took over from Willis Mchunu who was sworn in as a member of the legislature on Wednesday.
Mthimkhulu took over from Gabriel Ndabandaba, who has moved to Parliament. Addressing the media after he was elected, Mkhize said there was no guarantee that all previous provincial government Cabinet members would retain their positions.
The ANC announced on Wednesday that its provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu had stepped down from his position after he was sworn in as a member of the legislature.
”This is in keeping with the 2007 national conference resolution in Polokwane that the position of provincial secretary be full time. The ANC believes that Mchunu’s leadership and experience can be better used on a full-time basis in the provincial legislature,” the ANC said in a statement.
ANC deputy secretary Sihle Zikalala will act in this position until a provincial general council is convened to elect a new secretary. — Sapa