Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane Axes Opposition in Cabinet Reshuffle, Rewards Allies

• Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane announced a provincial cabinet reshuffle at a media briefing on Tuesday
• It's rumoured that the reshuffle came about after supporters pressured Mabuyane to rid the cabinet of his detractors
• Among those axed are Transport and Safety MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe and Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Fezeka Nkomonye

EASTERN CAPE - No good (or bad) deed goes unpunished, and two ANC Eastern Cape titans found this out the hard way when Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane sacked them in a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, 16 August.

Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe and Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Fezeka Nkonmonye got the chop after campaigning against Mabuyane’s bid for a second term as Eastern Cape Premier in May.

New24 reported that the cabinet reshuffle was announced at a press briefing at Lillian Diedericks House at the ministerial residential village in Bhosho.

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Public Works MEC Babalo Madikizela contested for the position of provincial chairperson in the Eastern Cape ANC elective conference in May but lost out to Mabuyane. Madikizela tendered his resignation after the over 150 vote loss.

This cabinet shake-up comes after Mabuyane's supporters pressured him to purge the cabinet of all the MECs who did not support him.

During the press briefing on Tuesday, 16 August, Eastern Cape Premier Mabuyane said no crisis led to the shake-up of cabinet positions. Rather, Mabuyane was merely acceding Madikizela’s request to resign from the executive.

Mabuyane said:

"This necessitated that I undertake an intense process of finding a long-term solution of filling the vacancy to the conclusion of this term. In doing so, I also had to consider the fact that we are halfway through the term of the sixth administration, which is more like the second half of a soccer match."

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He added that the reshuffled cabinet ticked the right boxes in that all provinces were told that 60% of the positions in the executive cabinet should be held by women. This reshuffling has satisfied that mandate.

Surprisingly, MEC of Education Fundile Gade was lucky to escape the axing, although he supported Madikizela's bid for provincial chairperson.

Premier Oscar Mabuyane appoints five new MECs

SowetanLIVE reported that there were winners in the cabinet reshuffle, with Matatiele mayor Ntombovuy Nkopane replacing Babalo Madikizela as Public Works MEC and MPL.

Xolile Nqatha, the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, moved to the transport and safety department after MEC Tikana-Gxothiwe was axed.

A new provincial cabinet member is ANC treasurer Zolile Williams, who takes over from Ngatha’s Cogta MEC role. Williams was also sworn in as MPL on Monday, 15 August.

Human settlements MEC Noncebs Khontsiwe replaced Nkomonye, who was fired as MEC for sports, arts and culture.

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Siphokazi Mani-Lusiti was relocated to lead the human settlements portfolio, and Bukiwe Fanta replaced Mani-Lusithi as social development MEC.

While both Tikana-Gxothiwe and Nkomonye have been axed as MECs, they both remain MPLs (members of provincial legislature).

South Africans react to the epic reshuffling

Some south African speculate that the axed politicians will receive better roles in the future, while others lament the reshuffle.

Here are some comments:

@MelikhayaPantsi said:

“Oscar did what her surname means ('Gxothiwe' means fired).”

@M4Masande speculated:

“She [Tikana-Gxothiwe] will be deployed somewhere to play a prominent role.”

@JoePesc96673377 commented:

“Instead of him taking a leaf from the KZN's PEC book on unity, he goes on to purge comrades... but anyway, December is around the corner, siyoyicela ivuthiwe.”

Supra Mahumapelo explains why he endorsed Nono Maloyi and December conference ambitions

Briefly News previously reported that the African National Congress Elective conference in the North West took an interesting turn following Supra Mahumapelo's decision not to contest for a position in the province.

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This led to Nono Maloyi's big win as the ANC's provincial chairperson, beating current North West Premier Bushy Maape after Mahumapelo's endorsement.

Source: Briefly News