Brown rings in changes
1 August 2008, 07:19
Premier Lynne Brown has replaced four ministers, reshuffled four portfolios and merged certain departments in the new provincial Cabinet.
Announcing her provincial executive on Thursday, Brown said Marius Fransman, formerly Transport and Public Works MEC, had been appointed Health MEC, Cameron Dugmore (formerly Education) would now be MEC for Sport and Recreation, Koleka Mqulwana (formerly Social Development) would take over Transport and Public Works and Whitey Jacobs (formerly Sport and Recreation) would be Housing MEC.
Pierre Uys would head Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, while Agriculture MEC Kobus Dowry's position remained unchanged.
New MECs were Yusuf Gabru, Education; Zodwa Magwaza, Social Development; Patrick McKenzie, Community Safety; and Garth Strachan, Finance, Economic Development and Tourism.
MECs replaced following their resignations are Leonard Ramatlakane (Community Safety), and Tasneem Essop (Environmental Affairs and Development Planning).
Richard Dyantyi has been dropped from the local government and housing post.
Brown said housing would be a portfolio on its own.
"Housing is one of the most difficult areas we have in the Western Cape with a backlog of 400 000 units. I think housing deserves somebody who will drive it and make sure we get the houses delivered as expeditiously as possible," Brown said.
Local government would become Uys's responsibility together with environmental affairs and development planning - a portfolio Essop held before she resigned.
Calling it a team she believed would accelerate service delivery, Brown, said her new Cabinet was finalised following consultations with the ANC.
"I'm happy to announce that we've put together a team that will strengthen government and accelerate service delivery in this province. It is a group of people who will focus very strongly on only one thing - delivery."
Brown's announcement received a mixed reaction from opposition parties.
ID provincial leader Sakkie Jenneker said: "This is the result of the post-Polokwane discourse in the ANC.
"But it also poses new challenges to the ANC in the province - can this new Cabinet fulfil the expectations created under a (Ebrahim) Rasool government.
"What is particularly shocking about this announcement is that it comes just after Allan Boesak's important input on what's happening to the ANC - it is displaying sheer arrogance and a greed for power."
DA provincial leader Theuns Botha welcomed the replacement of Ramatlakane, Dyantyi and Essop.
"I don't know why they still accommodated Dugmore as for all practical purposes they can in fact fire him.
"They are keeping Fransman for political purposes and its clear that he is being replaced by someone who is more politically aligned.
"Generally, the ANC made changes for the purpose of giving the Skwatsha-Zuma faction control of the cabinet," Botha said.
"This cabinet is not geared at service delivery and will try to maximise the utilisation of state resources for electioneering."
aziz.hartley@inl.co.za
Announcing her provincial executive on Thursday, Brown said Marius Fransman, formerly Transport and Public Works MEC, had been appointed Health MEC, Cameron Dugmore (formerly Education) would now be MEC for Sport and Recreation, Koleka Mqulwana (formerly Social Development) would take over Transport and Public Works and Whitey Jacobs (formerly Sport and Recreation) would be Housing MEC.
Pierre Uys would head Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, while Agriculture MEC Kobus Dowry's position remained unchanged.
New MECs were Yusuf Gabru, Education; Zodwa Magwaza, Social Development; Patrick McKenzie, Community Safety; and Garth Strachan, Finance, Economic Development and Tourism.
MECs replaced following their resignations are Leonard Ramatlakane (Community Safety), and Tasneem Essop (Environmental Affairs and Development Planning).
Richard Dyantyi has been dropped from the local government and housing post.
Brown said housing would be a portfolio on its own.
"Housing is one of the most difficult areas we have in the Western Cape with a backlog of 400 000 units. I think housing deserves somebody who will drive it and make sure we get the houses delivered as expeditiously as possible," Brown said.
Local government would become Uys's responsibility together with environmental affairs and development planning - a portfolio Essop held before she resigned.
Calling it a team she believed would accelerate service delivery, Brown, said her new Cabinet was finalised following consultations with the ANC.
"I'm happy to announce that we've put together a team that will strengthen government and accelerate service delivery in this province. It is a group of people who will focus very strongly on only one thing - delivery."
Brown's announcement received a mixed reaction from opposition parties.
ID provincial leader Sakkie Jenneker said: "This is the result of the post-Polokwane discourse in the ANC.
"But it also poses new challenges to the ANC in the province - can this new Cabinet fulfil the expectations created under a (Ebrahim) Rasool government.
"What is particularly shocking about this announcement is that it comes just after Allan Boesak's important input on what's happening to the ANC - it is displaying sheer arrogance and a greed for power."
DA provincial leader Theuns Botha welcomed the replacement of Ramatlakane, Dyantyi and Essop.
"I don't know why they still accommodated Dugmore as for all practical purposes they can in fact fire him.
"They are keeping Fransman for political purposes and its clear that he is being replaced by someone who is more politically aligned.
"Generally, the ANC made changes for the purpose of giving the Skwatsha-Zuma faction control of the cabinet," Botha said.
"This cabinet is not geared at service delivery and will try to maximise the utilisation of state resources for electioneering."
aziz.hartley@inl.co.za
- This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on August 01, 2008
Johannesburg
