The long-overdue announcement of Gauteng’s members of the executive council in the seventh administration will be announced on Monday.
This comes after the initial announcement scheduled for June 23 was postponed due to party political negotiations.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi will announce his executive council at the Gauteng Partnership Fund in Sandown.
Delayed appointment
Sizwe Pamla, the premier’s spokesperson, confirmed that the delayed appointment of the provincial government was in respect of political principals that needed to grant a go-ahead.
“Negotiators requested more time, and we have to abide because we are really not much involved in political matters,” said Pamla.
“The issues were discussed by the ANC, and we had to wait for them to finalise matters.”
He said the delay did not destabilise any portfolio as the premier, directors-general, and administrators worked together to ensure that no provincial portfolio would crumble during the wait.
It has been more than two weeks since Lesufi was reappointed unopposed as the premier at a special house sitting.
Programme of action
According to Pamla, the vacant MEC positions needed to be filled soon because they realised that it would be unsustainable to continue further without proper government.
He said they still did not know the ratio in which positions would be shared among ANC and DA members but were confident that it was in the best interest of everyone.
“This new executive council will lead the Gauteng provincial government over the next five years, ensuring the implementation of Gauteng’s programme of action and interventions to grow the economy of Gauteng and improve the quality of life for the residents of the province,” reads the statement.
Marakane Mosupyoe, the former arts and culture MEC, was appointed Speaker of the Legislature unopposed at the Gauteng provincial legislature’s first sitting in May.
