Masualle told to ‘reshuffle cabinet by end of week’

Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle has until the end of the week to reshuffle his cabinet.

After a “frank” discussion between the ANC’s provincial working committee, the NEC and Masualle yesterday, the ANC in the province said it expected Masualle to make pronouncements on the issue by the end of the week.

ANC provincial communications manager Gift Ngqondi said the meeting was aimed at finding ways to unite the party to enhance relations between the provincial government and the executive committee.

He said the frank and open meeting dealt with a number of issues confronted by the ANC, which has resolved to find ways to reconfigure the provincial cabinet speedily.

This follows pressure from the SA Communist Party – of which Masualle is a central executive committee member – which supported the call by ANC provincial bosses for Masualle to reshuffle his cabinet.

The decision was taken at an SACP provincial executive committee meeting attended by Masualle.

“Reconfiguring the cabinet does not include the premier. We’re talking about the provincial cabinet to ensure the synergy between the government and the ANC,” SACP provincial spokesman Siyabonga Mdodi said.

Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled Eastern Cape ANC members picketed outside the party’s Luthuli House headquarters yesterday to hand over a petition calling on the ANC to release the much talked-about Sbu Ndebele report.

About 95 members from the Joe Gqabi District, Amathole and Nelson Mandela Bay municipality handed over a petition to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, who signed it.

Nelson Mandela Bay regional executive committee member Nomakhaya Ntozini said they wanted the Ndebele report to be released immediately, as well as details of its outcomes and its full implementation.

An unsigned version of the report is believed to have recommended that the ANC’s Eastern Cape provincial executive commit be disbanded over alleged irregularities around its election last year.

In its petition, the disgruntled group said the ANC PEC was “purging” comrades whose views were different to that of the structure.

It also alleged September’s ANC provincial conference was clouded by manipulation and transgression of organisational processes and that conference guidelines had purposely been disregarded.

Lebohang Booka from Joe Gqabi said they did not recognise the current PEC as a legitimate structure and called on national leaders to resolve the issues in the province.

ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said no findings would be released as the Ndebele report was tabled before the NEC which had resolved to set the report aside.

Phone calls, e-mails and text messages sent to ANC spokesman Pule Mabe and Magashule went unanswered.