Protocols
I have been appointed Premier of the North West province on the basis of an ANC mandate of creating a better life for our people.
Through this mandate I am therefore inheriting a number of very serious constitutional obligations that this administration cannot afford to ignore and or do little about.
I want to make specific reference to this particular clause of the Constitution for ease of reference in terms of what my obligations are as premier of this province
“The executive authority of a province is vested in the premier of that province”
“The Premier exercises this authority together with the other Members of the Executive Council”
The constitutional obligations I refer to here, have instructed all my predecessors as much as they will be instructing the administration that I must form in order to continue from where they have stopped.
This therefore means that as premier I have to constitute from amongst those that have been legitimately sent by our people into the legislature to ensure that their interests, and only their interests, are pursued.
It is this assignment that should from today be the only inspiration why as the Executive are assuming the offices that are assigned to us.
Like any assignment, this assignment requires a team of men and women who not only understand their political mandates but also their broader constitutional and nation building mandates.
I want to reiterate here what President Zuma said on the occasion of the Cabinet reshuffle on 31 November 2010.
“Our people need to see a visible improvement in the delivery of water, electricity, health care, education, social security, civic services, safety and security and a host of other basic needs”.
“We have the resources, including skilled and experienced senior staff, who have to ensure that these services reach our people. We reiterate that we need a national executive and public service that knows where our people live, who fully understand the needs of our people and what we are trying to achieve”.
Knowing where our people leave means knowing what they need and knowing what their needs are, means knowing how to respond and knowing how to respond, means knowing what will create a better life for them.
I have consulted with the leadership of the ANC and considered everything that would have been necessary for me to come to the conclusions that I have made.
After careful consideration, I have decided to make the following appointments of Members of the Executive Council:
1. Agriculture and Rural Development: Mr Boitumelo Tshwene
2. Education: Mr Raymond Elisha
3. Economic Development, Environment and Tourism: Ms Tebogo Modise
4. Finance: Ms Louisa Mabe
5. Health: Dr. Magome Masike
6. Human Settlements, Safety and Liaison: Ms Desbo Mohono
7. Social Development, Women, Children and Persons with Disability: Ms Mosetsanagape Mokomela-Mothibi
8. Sports, Arts and Culture: Mr Patrick Chauke
9. Public Works, Roads and Transport: Mr Mahlakeng Mahlakeng
10. Local Government and Traditional Affairs: Mr Paul Sebego
I want to pay special tribute to the outgoing members of the executive. We will be inheriting from them an administration we all know that they did their best to make it amongst the best in the country.
As we endeavor to be a better country we will be enriched by their contributions in their new deployments.
Let me congratulate the new members of the executive council and wish them well in their and our new task.
