Sylvia Lucas says she’s had to work harder as a female premier than her male counterparts due to the patriarchal nature of her political home. She’s confident of her legacy in the Northern Cape as she believes she did enough in her six years.
One political analyst admits that although Lucas did relatively well with mining and alternative energy projects, it is unlikely that she would serve another term.
Ten weeks in office as premier, the name Sylvia Lucas becomes synonymous with fried chicken. Lucas was under scrutiny for her reckless expenditure on fast food and personal groceries to the tune of R53 000 using taxpayer’s money. Fast forward six years in her position, it’s still not clear what transpired.
Lucas has questioned the motive of the person who leaked the information of her spending to the media.
“In the whole of the equation no-one asked; but who gave that information to the papers and what was the motive of that person? That is why I took it from who it came because people who were in the know and knew what happened there and possibly were responsible we will not even know and then they come with that kind of thing.”
Known in her circle as the Queen of the Kalahari, she rose in the African National Congress (ANC) ranks from 1992 as an ordinary member and was MEC by 2004. However, the further she rose, the more questions were asked about her history with the National Party.
“So when it comes to government positions then people remember that you are from the National Party. It was the government of the day. Whatever you did, even if you work in what government departments, if you were a teacher, a policeman or what; you were working for the national party government. So I don’t know where I was a secretary or typist for the national party.”
Political Analyst, Andre Duvenage, says context is important when discussing the rise of Lucas.
“I believe the premier who was an appointment in terms of the position of the President, who had to appoint at least three gender positions within the context of the nine provinces. In that sense we can regard her as a gender appointment.”
Lucas has always enjoyed a united backing of her party since her appointment by then President Jacob Zuma. This is until May 2017 when she contested the position of Chairperson for the Provincial ANC against Zamani Saul, Ramaphosa man.
Lucas says differing in viewpoints does not mean the ANC makes an enemy of that person.
“It cannot happen that the ANC makes an enemy of someone if you differ from that person’s viewpoint. It comes with your experience and your political maturity and, unfortunately we are not all at the same level political maturity.”
Despite her spending spree, a questionable past and also being found guilty of hate speech when she referred to the Khoisan community with an H-word. Lucas maintains these were all sideshows that didn’t derail her administrative duties to the people of her province.
“To make sure that you go out and you put in some more effort to make sure that you assist other people, that was what was important for us and we did that and I think the new administration; if they can built on the relationship that we’ve built with the private sector, it might take us very much further.”
Duvenage concurs that it was not all gloom and doom for Lucas.
“She needs to get credit for her initiative with regard to alternative energy projects. In a sense she was a bridge builder among communities; focussing on mining especially some of the last initiatives with regard to copper in the Namaqualand, I think that need to be getting credit.”
However, residents have mixed feelings. Resident Patricia Matlhoko says Lucas does not serve all the residents.
“She’s doing a wonderful job, but not for all of us in Kimberley.”
Another resident Jigazz Damoense says Lucas bought food instead of serving residents.
“You were there and you had an opportunity the only think you did was you bought Kentucky and that’s the only thing I heard of you.”
As the leadership clock ticks for Lucas; she says at the end of her term, she will be at the disposal of the ANC to deploy her where the party sees fit.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
Please note that the headline of this story was amended to more correctly reflect the content.
