Themba Godi, the former chairperson of parliament’s standing committee on public accounts and leader of the African People’s Convention (APC), has attributed the recent cabinet reshuffle in Mpumalanga to the power vacuum left by the death of former deputy president David “DD” Mabuza, accusing Premier Mandla Ndlovu of taking advantage of the situation to settle personal grudges.
In a scathing statement issued, Godi said the APC was “neither surprised nor impressed” by the removal of MECs and senior government officials, calling the reshuffle a “mere distraction” that fails to address the deeper rot plaguing the province.
“Mpumalanga has been mired in corruption and mismanagement for decades without any tangible action being taken by the authorities,” said Godi.
MECs shown the door
Ndlovu’s reshuffle — announced last week, just two days after Mabuza’s funeral — saw education MEC Cathy Dlamini and economic development MEC Makhosazana Masilela removed from the executive.
A senior head of the department was also dismissed, adding further speculation around internal ANC power plays.
“Our view, confirmed by murmurs rising within the ANC, is that the removals are part of the factional battles that lay dormant but are now erupting in the wake of the demise of Mr DD Mabuza, the former Mpumalanga strongman,” Godi said.
He described the Ndlovu administration as “weak, without vision, and uninspiring”, accusing it of failing to act against entrenched corruption across the province.
“Any genuine action should have been more comprehensive and not just targeted.
“We have seen communication within the ANC complaining about corruption in the big security tender that names senior people in government and complaints about corruption in contracts in a number of villages in Bushbuckridge. There has been dead silence on all of this.”
Push for ethical leadership
The APC claimed that the timing and selectivity of the reshuffle suggest ulterior motives, particularly because there has been no action taken in more complex cases involving powerful insiders.
“The rot starts from the head. The political class in Mpumalanga is corrupt — together with its administration and ‘business’ class,” said Godi.
He called on South Africans committed to clean governance and true service delivery to rally behind the APC in pushing for ethical leadership and dignity for the people of Mpumalanga.
“The APC will keep pressure on the Mpumalanga government to do what is right for the citizens of this province,” he said.
While Ndlovu has maintained that the reshuffle was informed by performance reviews and the need to strengthen service delivery, critics like Godi suggest that internal ANC dynamics and the absence of Mabuza’s once-dominant influence have opened the door to new political manoeuvres.
