Minister Pravin Gordhan during a meeting to discuss Eskom’s allegations at parliament in Cape Town.
Brenton Geach / Gallo Images
- The ANC General Secretary, Fikile Mbalula, threatened that if Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan did not perform, he would be sacked from his job.
- Mbalula blamed the high number of road accidents on the presence of trucks carrying goods that could be transported by rail.
- A few hours after issuing this threat, the ANC said that Jordan’s mission was not at stake, as Mbalula had claimed.
Hours after ANC General Secretary Fekele Mbalula warned that Public Projects Minister Pravin Gordhan would be sacked if he did not perform, the ANC took a U-turn saying the minister was safe in his job.
Speaking at the ANC Women’s League conference in Johannesburg on Saturday, Mbalula told delegates that the party expects the performance of its affiliates in government.
He singled out Jordan and said he had to work quickly to fix the problems the country’s rail system was facing – saying if he didn’t, he would be impeached.
Former Transport Minister Mbalula blamed the rise in road deaths on the increased presence of trucks carrying goods that could have been transported by rail.
“Now I will say to Praveen Gordhan; I was there with him. I was also the Minister of Transport: ‘Comrade Praveen, move faster, or else, we will pick you up. ‘” “
“We need all trucks off the road because people are dying because of these trucks. Trucks should be taken off the road and goods should be transported by rail. Let’s not act like we are not in the government. We are responsible,” he said.
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But Saturday nightThe ANC issued a statement supporting Mbalula’s comments and saying that Jordan was safe in his job.
“The Minister of Public Enterprises will undoubtedly not provide answers [alone] Facing our rail transportation system. “The fact that a clear appeal was made to the minister to accelerate policy interventions to deal with rail and freight logistics does not amount to a call for his removal,” the ANC said in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mahlingi Bhingo Mutsiri.
“We have an obligation to provide appropriate responses to all these challenges. The government, working with all South Africans, must find friendly programs to expand the borders of our people for a better life,” said Bhingo Mutsiri.
Gordhan recently announced that a new board of directors at Transnet had been appointed to turn around the ailing state-owned company.