Members of the Gauteng provincial legislature during a special sitting on Thursday to elect a new premier after David Makhura resigned from office this week. Picture: Reitumetse Makwea/ The Citizen
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has walked out of the special sitting of the Gauteng provincial legislature to elect a new premier for the province.
The legislature, on Thursday, is sitting to swear in a new premier after David Makhura resigned from office on Tuesday.
ANC Gauteng provincial chair and Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has been nominated by the governing party to take over the reins from Makhura.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has nominated their provincial leader Solly Msimanga as their candidate.
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Before voting could take place for the new premier, the EFF’s deputy provincial chairperson, Itani Mukwevho, rose on a point of order – saying the party would not participate in the process.
Mukwevho said the ANC government had failed the residents of Gauteng and highlighted the scandal over the R431 million school decontamination irregular tender during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic as part of the reasons the party was abstaining from voting.
The scandal has overshadowed Lesufi’s leadership of the education department and is currently being probed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
He said the EFF’s presence in the legislature made no material difference, claiming the ANC and the DA are the same.
“The ANC government failed this province and they continue running this province the way that they want and we – the EFF – are not going to be part of this process,” Mukwevho said.
Gauteng deputy judge president Aubrey Ledwaba is presiding over the election of the new premier and voting was done via secret ballot.
Members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) have cast their ballots and vote counting is currently underway.
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