I will resign - Rasool

2008-07-17 09:27

Liesl Peyper and Nellie Brand

Cape Town - On the day that beleaguered Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool confirmed that he was asked to resign, the ANC said more intervention was coming in other provinces - including the Eastern Cape.

On a national level, the ANC has maintained its silence over the fate of Rasool and his Eastern Cape counterpart Nosimo Balindlela. But on Wednesday, Rasool said in an interview with Die Burger that there was no doubt about it: he will resign.

He also said he could at least ask whether it was a fair and wise decision.

'Package of intervention'

On Wednesday, ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe, said the Western and Eastern Cape were only two of the five provinces where the ANC would intervene.

According to Mantashe, the Free State, North West and Northern Cape, were next in line.

Mantashe said during an information session for fund managers that this was part of a "package of intervention", which would be extended to government departments and institutions.

It was all part of the preparations to ensure that the transition to the 2009 election was "smooth".

Rasool said he did not accept that the reason for his replacement was poor service delivery.

The premier told Die Burger that the national chairperson of the ANC, Baleka Mbete, had told him earlier this week that he would be replaced. "Those were her exact words: that I would be replaced because it was in the interest of the province."

'Narrow-minded politics'

Mbete met with Rasool again on Wednesday morning, where he was given the assurance that the national leadership wants him to remain in the Western Cape parliament and ANC structures.

But Rasool said he did not exactly have pleasant memories of the provincial parliament.

"I tried to keep my nose out of the narrow-minded politics of the ANC and to be a good premier, but I did not please everyone".

It is easy to walk away from a job but not from your honour, he said. "But I also want to know what I did wrong and why only I am being selected."

- Die Burger