ActionSA calls for an update on NW Premier Bushy Maape’s health after 3 months of absence
20 September 2023
ActionSA North West calls on ANC North West Chairperson and Acting Premier Nono Maloyi to update the residents on Premier Bushy Maape’s health, following his three months’ sick leave due to medical treatment.
The Premier’s prolonged absence from the office due to medical reasons is quite concerning and as a party that values accountability and transparency, we think it is time now to clarify the continuous absence. To this end, ActionSA believes that it is in the public interest for the Acting Premier Maloyi to clarify Maape’s suitability to continue as the head of the provincial administration given this prolonged absence.
While ActionSA believes that Premier Maape, just like any other citizen has a right to privacy when it comes to his health, we also believe that if his condition is of such a nature that he must take months away from office for a protracted period of time, the public should know whether he is fit to continue in office or not.
Premier Maape’s ability to carry out his constitutional duties as a leader of our province is crucial for service delivery. More so given that North West is on record as the province with the worst performing municipalities in the country and his sick leave also coincided with the province grappling with various service delivery failures such as inadequate water and sanitation provisions.
The absence of effective provincial leadership is prompting us to call for accountability.
When it comes to his physical state, Premier Maape has the right to privacy, however, his protracted absence from his official duties cannot continue to be shrouded in mystery and this is why we are calling for clarification on the status of his health.
ActionSA is also concerned about the perceived or real conflict of interest with Maloyi’s three roles - as ANC Chairperson, MEC for cooperative governance and human settlements and Acting Premier of the North West province.
As an MEC for cooperative governance and human settlements, Maloyi has repeatedly failed to resolve the issue of service delivery in the province and now it seems like he is reporting to himself.
As a party rooted in accountability and transparency, we want to caution against a situation where the Acting Premier is reporting to himself.
This is not going to help in a province currently failing on almost every major metric of performance, good governance, and service delivery.
The people of North West and South Africa at large deserve an accountable and transparent government as pronounced recently by majority of delegates at ActionSA’s inaugural policy conference.
We will continue to demand accountability from those entrusted with public office and public goods mandated by the state and the people of South Africa.
Issued by Kwena Mangope, ActionSA North-West Provincial Chairperson, 20 September 2023
