Pretoria- Opposition parties said they were not convinced that the new executive members elected by the new Premier Panyaza Lesufi would make a difference in Gauteng.
Lesufi announced his new cabinet on Friday, promising residents that he will change the face of townships and added that his new team is competent, beyond reproach and not attached to scandals.
His cabinet reshuffle comes after he was elected premier during a special sitting of the provincial legislature on Thursday.
Bongani Baloyi, Gauteng provincial chairperson for ActionSA, said Lesufi failed to make necessary changes that will have an impact in the province.
“With an astonishing 37% unemployment rate which increased from 24.6% in 2014, one would have expected radical changes to address the failing government and lawlessness in the province. But, instead, Lesufi announced more of the same,” Baloyi said.
Baloyi added that Lesufi should have fired former MEC of transport Jacob Mamabolo saying he failed to deliver on the ANC’s election promises to get rid of e-tolls.
On Friday, Lesufi moved Mamabolo to MEC of finance and continued to promise that Mamabolo will get rid of e-tolls and implement a State bank.
ActionSA was also not happy that Faith Mazibuko retained her position as MEC of community safety saying that murder, theft and kidnapping statistics continued to soar out of control under her term.
Democratic Alliance member and former Tshwane mayor, Solly Msimanga said as a party, they are not expecting any changes to come from Lesufi’s appointment and his new cabinet.
“Panyaza has been part of this cabinet for the second term, and he has also been a leader in government business...Panyaza presided over a department that has seen R400m going towards corruption including PPE school cleaning programmes,” Msimanga said.
Msimanga added that all the promises that Lesufi made today, were just a repetition of what the former premier David Makhura said.
IOL