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Mabuza defends Govt decision to place N West under administration

David Mabuza
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Deputy President David Mabuza faced pressing questions on whether government’s decision to place the North West government under administration was cabinet decision or an ANC factional battle decision.

Mabuza was in the National Assembly for an oral reply session on Tuesday.

Cabinet invoked Section 100 of the constitution to place the entire North West province under administration. Mabuza defended the decision saying it was informed by the material conditions on the ground including lack of service delivery.

“Remember firstly that government took a decision to send the military to go and intervene in hospitals . That was a first sign that there was a problem in the department of health. And beyond that a team was sent to go and look at the situation and the team came back with few recommendation and government took the first decision to place the department of health under section 100 (1) (b).

“On further investigation then government took a decision to place certain number of departments under section 100 (1) B and and certain departments under section 100 ( 1) (a). So I’m saying this decision by the department was informed by the material conditions prevailing on the ground and the very fact that service delivery was very much affected,” Deputy President explained.

DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen who asked the original question wanted the Deputy President to assure parliament that the decision was not an ANC factional battle decision. He also wanted to know why similar action was not taken in the Free State under former Premier Ace Magashule.

“The comments that I want to make is that its very clear that the new dawn is built down the sunset on a key internal factional political opponent in the form of Mr Supra Mahumapelo and yet has failed to act against the premier of the Free State, Mr Ace Magashule who also happens to the Secretary General of the organisation of the Deputy President. So what assurances does the deputy president give the house to that these section 100 (b) interventions are not political interventions dressed up and cloaked in the respectability of the 100 intervention.”

But Mabuza told Steehuisen that government will place any province under administration if service delivery was severely affected – including the Western Cape and the Free State.

“The Free State state will fall into that categories but we are going onto a witch hunt but where there is a collapse of services, -definitely in the interest of the people, government must intervene regardless of who is involved. Now in the North West, the decision to place the entire government under section 100 its an indication that some government systems have collapsed.”

As he posed a follow up question on the same matter, Agang Parliamentary Leader Andries Tlouamma ended up being kicked out of the House after refusing to withdraw his comments for what Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli deemed as unparliamentary remarks against Mabuza.

Tlouamma accused government of staging what he called a political armed robbery and thieves chasing other thieves.

“Honourable deputy president what is happening in he nOrth West, it is a political armed robbery. What guarantees do we have that North West will not be handed over to another faction of thieves. By the way did you excuse yourselves when the cabinet took a decision to place the north West under administration because Mr Mahumapelo is your own twin by deeds , otherwise this will be a process of thief chasing thieves.”

Tsenoli ultimately kicked Tlouamma out of the House for repeatedly refusing to withdraw his comments.

“I am saying it’s unparliamentary to cast aspersion and you must withdraw it…. I am not going to repeat, …….Do you want me to do it in Northern Sotho …… You can do it in any language……..Mark my words I am not going to withdraw……honourable Tlouamma leave the House………. ”

The Deputy President also answered various questions on the fight against TB, HIV, the land question and about the causes of delay at HIV blood testing centres leading to patients not receiving their results back on time.

Mabuza will be back in Parliament on Thursday for another engagement with the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

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