Staff reporter
Bloemfontein – A strong ally of President, Cyril Ramaphosa, in the Free State is set to be inaugurated or sworn-in as the new premier for the province following the resignation of Premier Sisi Ntombela on Tuesday, 21 February 2023.
In a letter from the office of the ANC’s Secretary General (SG) Fikile Mbalula, the party’s National Executive Committee( NEC) indicate that, Mxolisi Dukwana, will ascend to the high political position in the province.
On the letter from Mbalula’s office it says that “based on the interviews, the national officials are of the view that all three candidates are of a high calibre and have potential to play meaningful roles as deployees in a number of spheres of government in the current conjuncture, given his experience and the challenges faced by the Free State, the national officials are of the view that Comrade, Mxolisi Dukwana, is the preferred candidate for the position of Premier of the Free State.”
Dukwana who is also a political foe of former ANC SG and former Free State Premier, Ace Magashule, was chosen amongst two other candidates who were vying for the same position.
The party’s deputy provincial secretary, Dibolelo Mahlatsi, and deputy provincial chairperson, Ketso Makume, were interviewed on Sunday for the position of the premier as we reported on Saturday.
Ntombela officially tendered her resignation letter on Tuesday, 21 February 2023 after the ANC in the province asked her to resign.
On 10 February 2023, ANC PEC released a statement and said it had under taken a robust and honest reflection on the governance structures at provincial and local government level.
In the statement the newly appointed ANC provincial spokesperson, Jabu Mbalula, said as a consequence, there was an appreciation that a misalignment exists between ANC election manifesto and the performance of the government.
“The PEC affirmed 9th provincial conference resolution that extraordinary efforts are needed to strengthen both the provincial and local government. In this regard, the PEC resolved to redeploy the Free State Premier, Sefora Ntombela and the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Siyonzana. The PEC mandated its officials to engage the national officials to process and finalize the decision.
The ANC in the province wishes to thank these comrades for their contribution in the portfolios within which they were deployed. Furthermore, the PEC appreciates the comrades spirit with which the said comrades received the ANC decision,” Mbalula added.
Ntombela has long been associated with the legacy of Magashule which has been described disastrous one. Its said that when Ntombela got into the office she failed to disrupt Magashule’s system of operations.
A close source in the upper achelons of the party said Ntomebela kept what is now know as “Ace’s people” including Head of Departments and directors.
In her letter of her resignation seen by step up Ntombela wrote that” I want to express my appreciation for the support you and my organization the ANC, have provided me during the tenure as the member of the Provincial Legislature and Premier of the province.
Together we have done our best in difficult circumstances to meet the expectations of our people. I wish the incoming premier and my beloved ANC all the best in the task that lies ahead.
I remain available and committed to our revolutionary goals and ready to serve in any deployment the organisation deem fit”.
Moments before her resignation on Tuesday Ntombela was set to hold a press briefing following rife speculation about her future but in a twist of events she then cancelled it with no reasons provided. Ntombela resigned few days before the much anticipated Free State State of the Province Adress (SOPA) on 28 February 2023.
Meanwhile, following Ntombela’s resignation the ANC Free State PEC has since arranged a media briefing.
ANC FS spokesperson Mbalula says the briefing is intended to brief the media, and the members of the community at large, on a number of political developments in the province.
The media briefing will be held at the party’s headquarters in Kaizer Sebothelo House, in Bloemfontein.
With Dukwana taking taking the top job he will leave COGTA and Human Settlement departments vacant and according to sources in the ANC cycles say Makume and Mahlatsi will be appointed as MECs for respective departments.
The news of Dukwana ascending to the highest office in the province was received with mixed feeling with others in support while other say he is being rewarded for his state capture appearance.
In the State Capture Dukwana labeled Magashule “as a blesser to many” and admitted that he accepted R10 000 from Rajesh Gupta in 2014, two years after he was axed from the provincial executive.
He claimed he was called to a meeting with Gupta at the Oakbay Offices in Sandton in January 2014 and attended out of “curiosity”. There, he was handed R10 000 to compensate him for his travel expenses which he accepted – he had driven from Welkom to Johannesburg to attend the meeting.
Dukwana has admitted that he accepted R10‚000 from Rajesh Gupta in 2014‚ two years after he was axed from the provincial executive.
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Revolutionary goals can be interpreted as the goal to create perpetual chaos while the few loot the country.
Do these people not understand that communism arises from Marx who was a white jew from europe? Are they ignorant of the 100 million mass murder of the innocent by a jewish ideological psychosis seeking world domination using the “stupid people” to effect change that has led only to greater and deeper class struggles as the top elites went on to monopolise ownership on a multinational level?