Mxolisi Dukwana expected to be appointed Free State Premier

The Free State special sitting to appoint a new premier has been postponed to this morning. The sitting was delayed for more than two hours yesterday before the Speaker of the Legislature Zanele Sifuba apologised for the delay and the inconvenience.

The sitting was going to see the ANC’s newly-elected Chairperson and CoGTA MEC Mxolisi Dukwana elected as the new premier.

Sifuba says the special sitting of the legislature has been postponed due to a legal technicality.

“And the Chief Justice has just made a determination because he is allowed in terms of the constitution. We made a proposal and the Chief Justice will made a determination. So, the Chief Justice has made his determination that this process will take place tomorrow, 24 of February at 10 o’clock. So that is where we are.”

Sisi Ntombela says she had to resign as Free State Premier:

Meanwhile, former Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela says there’s nothing wrong with being re-deployed within the ANC.

Ntombela was speaking during the party’s media briefing in Bloemfontein. It was her first public address, following her resignation on Tuesday.

The performance of municipalities in the province worsened under her watch, with none of them having received a clean audit in five years.

More municipalities were placed under administration.

Ntombela has asked the province to support the new premier-elect, Mxolisi Dukwana.

She says her  handover report will explain further on the poor performances that transpired under her tenure.

“If you’re a politician, you must understand this thing; so, here there’s no kingdom, anytime is tea time. So, if the decision of leaders have just decided that, ‘no, MaNtombela, we’re now re-deploying you to somewhere’, then I must just abide by the rules of the African National Congress. So, there’s no harm, comrades; that’s how we work. We understand these things and we don’t have any, any, any, any harm (sic) against it. So I am re-deployed and I’m accepting it 100%.”

Mixed reactions to resignation of Sisi Ntombela: