THE ANC GAUTENG HAS CORDIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS GOVERNMENT
The ANC Gauteng has noted with disgust the ongoing false media reports fuelled by the DA and COPE regarding the relationship between the provincial government and the provincial leadership of the ANC. We dismiss the allegations of tensions between the ANC and the Premier and so-called micromanagement of the provincial government as baseless and false (see Sunday Independent report).
The ANC held the PEC Governance Lekgotla on Monday 25th July to assess the progress made in the implementation of our policy priorities. The Lekgotla received progress reports from the Premier, all MECs and Chairpersons of Portfolio Committees in the Gauteng Legislature on the work that has been done during the past year since the last PEC review conducted in August 2010.
The ANC is satisfied with the progress being made in implementing our manifesto priorities over the past year. We are unanimous in the view that greater effort and attention need to be given to the task of ensuring that all government departments have capacity to execute the ANC's core mandate - fast-tracking job creation, health, education, infrastructural development and fighting crime. Specific interventions will be made by the Premier and all MECs in this regard.
The ANC will continue to work closely with and monitor the performance of its government and municipalities on the implementation of the manifesto priorities. We shall not apologise for monitoring and evaluating the performance of our cadres.
The allegations of tensions and micro-management by the opposition and sections of media are cheap publicity stunt by the DA and COPE. Further, these parties are politicising a common practice by state security agencies to vet all senior public servants. Those who understand the operations of government know that security vetting of senior civil servants is a common practice by all government department in South Africa. Accordingly, it was done by all previous Premiers and MECs in Gauteng.
The sections of the media together with the opposition have shown both ignorance and cheap politicking by attributing this standard procedure of security vetting of senior government officials to a political agenda of the Premier. The ANC utterly rejects this failed attempt to sow divisions in our ranks. Both the DA and COPE have enough internal problems in Gauteng which they must fix.
The provincial government and the ANC will not be diverted from the primary task of improving the quality of life of our people, especially the urban poor who bear a disproportionate burden of high cost of living in our province.
Statement issued by ANC Gauteng Provincial Secretary, David Makhura, July 28 2011
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