Rasool will be asked to resign

2008-07-15 07:36

Liesl Peyper

Cape Town - The Western Cape could know by Wednesday who will be the province's new premier.

ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa and ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete informed members of the party's Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and Cosatu about decisions that were taken over the past week by the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The ANC leadership met in Johannesburg last weekend, where a decision was taken that the premier of the Western Cape, Ebrahim Rasool, and his counterpart in the Eastern Cape, Nosimo Balindlela, would be dismissed from their positions.

ANC spokesperson for the Western Cape Garth Strachan confirmed on Monday that Rasool would be asked to resign because the national leadership felt it was in the "best interest" of the province to allow the ANC to best prepare for the forthcoming elections.

Three potential successors

At a meeting held in great secrecy at the Western Cape legislature on Monday, three potential successors for Rasool were chosen, a source who had attended the meeting told Die Burger.

The candidates are Lynne Browne, provincial minister of finance and tourism; Yusuf Gabru, vice-speaker; and Pierre Uys, provincial minister of health.

The NEC will appoint an acting premier from these three candidates.

Strachan did not want to confirm the names of the candidates because it was an "internal matter".

Meanwhile, Rasool said he had not heard anything official from the NEC, reported Philda Essop.

He did not attend the PEC meeting on Monday.

ANC spokesperson Jesse Duarte said that besides Monday afternoon's PEC meeting, there would also be meetings of the Western Cape ANC caucus and the provincial cabinet.

"The ANC is a responsible organisation. We owe it to the public not to make any uninformed decisions," Duarte said.

- Die Burger