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‘Removing Sisulu from Vaal River Recovery would be a setback’
Organised businesses and civil society are up in arms about intense media speculation that Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s removal from the Vaal River recovery project is imminent and has appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa to prevent and clarify.
The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC) has warned that removing Sisulu from the present advanced stage of Vaal River recovery planning would be a setback for the region and river both environmentally and economically.
Business and civil society stakeholders have also written letters to President Ramaphosa, the Premier of Gauteng Province and other political role players in Government to prevent any Sisulu removal from the Vaal.
Intense media speculation – with the weekend ANC NEC wrangles as the political backdrop – says Sisulu’s removal is imminent after last week’s visit by Deputy President David Mabuza to the Vaal.
Sisulu’s planned removal in a speculated cabinet reshuffle by President Ramaphosa was reportedly on the cards but was delayed by extended ANC NEC discussions over the weekend and on Monday, according to media reports.
Sisulu has mobilised wide support in the Vaal for her participative vision of river and water and sanitation recovery and recently moved to take full control from ELM in terms of Section 63 of the Water Act, thus unleashing massive resources and management capacity to fast-track.
But the GTCoC has dug in its heels on any suggestion that Sisulu be removed for any reason whatsoever, saying it would organise community protests against any Sisulu shift as she was clearly fully committed to cleaning up the Vaal pollution crisis.
GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger was adamant Sisulu’s removal would destabilise the project, to the value as much as R9 billion.
“The GTCoC firmly believes the clean-up process needs sustainability and long-term commitment by the national Government which has brought in the army and other initiatives before but has made no headway until Minister Sisulu got here.
Minister Sisulu has clearly demonstrated her commitment to the Vaal and building capacity to clean up the Vaal River. Minister Sisulu is an Honorary Citizen of the Vaal in our eyes because she is here regularly and has been mobilising community and business support for the turn-around as well as overseeing practical planning and capacity-building.
“Removing her would be fatal to the recovery of the Vaal River and regional economy and the GTCoC together with our community stakeholders would be prepared to protest and withhold support on her behalf,” said Kritzinger.
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