Premier Rasool's statement:
"On Saturday, 16 July 2005, I met with the Western Cape Officials of the ANC. The meeting was primarily aimed at discussing the modalities of MEC Mcebisi Skwatsha's resignation from the Provincial Government. All of us shared the point of departure that we are implementing the constitutional position of the ANC that a Provincial Secretary should be full time.
"While we did resolve these modalities, the meeting also touched on broader matters relating to the ANC and the people of the Western Cape. This meeting was critical to our collective and shared efforts to unite the ANC and the people of the Western Cape and to ensure that each and every cadre and member of the ANC in the Western Cape is engaged in ensuring the ANC's leadership in society, its delivery to all citizens through government (especially to the poor), and a successful local government election campaign.
"These are objectives we are all committed to and I emerged from this meeting even more determined to build the unity of the ANC and I will play an energetic and constructive role both as Premier of the Western Cape as well as a Provincial Executive Committee member of the ANC in pursuit of our objectives.
"The meeting also succeeded in understanding, and respecting, the complementary roles played by all of us in the pursuit of the objectives of the ANC in the Provincial leadership and in the Provincial Government. We are one ANC, led by a single set of policy objectives and respecting the leadership of the ANC as we all go about our work in creating a better life for all our people.
"All of these signal a meeting that was successful and positive. It was not a meeting which broke down in disagreement. It was not a meeting of competing wills. It was a meeting of ANC cadres simply moving from the premise of what is best for the ANC and what is best for an ANC government to continue serving all the people of the Province.
"It is in this context that I have received the resignation of MEC Skwatsha from the Provincial Government. Again I reiterate that the resignation of MEC Skwatsha is the implementation of a Constitutional Provision of the ANC that he should devote his full time attention to running the ANC as an organisation.
"I want to dispel any notion that MEC Skwatsha's resignation is a result of any 'cleaning up of corruption'. I have been dismayed by press reports that tried to impute that into the resignation.
"I have explained to the Officials of the ANC in the Western Cape that the programme of work for government is being driven at all levels at a tremendous pace, starting tomorrow with my attendance of the national cabinet lekgotla. On my return the Provincial Government will need to be seized with the tasks emanating therefrom.
"I am grateful that we all agree on this and that the programme of government can be dovetailed with the need for MEC Skwatsha to wrap up his work as MEC. I will, therefore, be announcing the necessary changes to the Executive shortly. At the Cabinet meeting of the 27th July 2005, we will take leave of MEC Skwatsha as his replacement in cabinet is sworn in.
"I again express my thanks to Comrade Skwatsha for a year of contribution to the best delivery ever seen by the people of this Province by its Provincial Government, but also to the Officials of the ANC, led by Chairperson Ngculu, for the way in which we have resolved the modalities of this matter."
Please contact Clayton Wakeford with any further enquiries.
