The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Free State say the appointment of Jabu Mbalula as caretaker prime minister is an insult to the people of the province.
Jabu, the brother of African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, and MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transportwas sworn in on Thursday, November 14. He will be acting prime minister until December 15, while Prime Minister Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, accused of corruption, is on special leave.
EFF IN FREE STATE REJECTS THE APPOINTMENT OF JABU MBALULA
In an internal memo, Letsoha-Mathae asked the executive council to support Mbalula.
“I have appointed Mr J Mbalula as Acting Prime Minister for the Free State Province for the period from November 15, 2024 to December 15, 2024. Please extend full cooperation and support to him,” she said.
Reacting to the appointment, the EFF said Letsoha-Mathae had used the special leave as a loophole to ensure she does not resign from office but retains her position while facing her. allegations of corruption.
The party said this clearly points to the failure and failure to adopt and implement the step aside policy.
The step aside rule was adopted at the ANC’s 2017 national conference, where criminally accused leaders must voluntarily step aside and those alleged, reported and accused of corruption face the integrity commission.
The acting Prime Minister was reportedly a ghost worker
Regarding the appointment of Jabu Mbalula, the EFF said Mathae’s decision amounts to a blow to Fikile Mbalula for appointing her as prime minister over ANC chairman in Mxolisi Dukwana province.
“Jabu Mbalula was at the heart of corruption and wasteful spending in the financially distressed Mangaung Metro Municipality. Electing him as caretaker prime minister is an insult to the people of the Free State,” the party said.
In 2022, an investigative report into the illegal appointment of staffers in Mangaung Municipality exposed Jabu Mbalula as one of the ghost staffers who allegedly cost the municipality millions in salaries every month, while never reporting for a single working day.
The citizen reported that most ANC cadre deployments occurred after the 2021 local government elections, when individuals identified as “skeleton staff” were signed up, often without letters of appointment or contracts, in violation of the Municipal System Act.
According to the report, ghost workers received a total of R2.5 million in salaries in January alone. In March, the salary bill shot up to R9 million as the number of staffers hired increased from 125 to 165.
DO YOU SUPPORT THE DECISION TO APPOINT JABU MBALULA AS ACTING PREMIER OF THE FREE STATE?
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Nokwanda Ncwane
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