The star Online
Friday, November 24, 2006
The country's premiers have all been hit by a meddling festive bug that makes them unavailable for weekend work in the country.
That is the conclusion of Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, who expressed outrage that not one of the nine provincial premiers invited to a R1-billion skills project launch next Saturday are willing to pick up the hefty cheques in person.
Incredulous guffaws and shocked silences were among the range of responses received from the premiers' offices yesterday to the minister's scathing criticism.
Mdladlana complained in a public statement that premiers are being offered a R1-billion windfall from the National Skills Fund - to be used at their discretion - but that none of them have accepted his invitation to the launch on December 2 in the Eastern Cape.
His spokesperson, Mokgadi Pela, yesterday lamented the premiers' lack of interest, saying Mdladlana was "feeling very disappointed" that the provincial bosses had not "jumped at the opportunity".
If they did not turn up, the formal cheque handover would be little more than a damp squib, he said.
It is envisaged that the provinces would share the R1-billion equally. Pela said 360 000 people were expected to benefit from the skills training during the next two years.
However, Mdladlana's angry tirade appears to have had little effect. None of the premiers canvassed by The Star yesterday, save for Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela, will be travelling to the town of Dutywa for the launch next Saturday.
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa had already committed himself to a "private engagement"; Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool will be in Angola; KwaZulu Natal Premier S'bu Ndebele is travelling to China; Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla refused to "respond through the media"; Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff will be in Dubai; and Limpopo Premier Sello Moloto had "a prior engagement".
Makwetla's spokesperson, Ntime Skhosana, expressed shock that Mdladlana had complained "in public".
"We received the invitation and wrote back asking for more information about the project and the expected role to be played by the provinces. If the national department wants to launch this thing, we have to understand what the roles are in terms of intergovernmental relations.
"We will respond to the minister through the normal paths of correspondence and not through the media," he said.
Masiza Mazizi, Balindlela's spokesperson, was equally mystified, because the Eastern Cape provincial government was helping to organise the event.
"We had officials from both departments in numerous meetings to ensure its success. The premier and her executive council will attend," he said.
Shilowa's spokesperson, Simon Zwane, said the premier had already made another "private" engagement for December 2, when the invitation was received on November 10. Gauteng Finance MEC Paul Mashatile would be going in Shilowa's place, he said.
"It was not our intention to ignore the initiative. The premier's views on the need for skills development are well known," Zwane pointed out.
Pela said the premiers had a lot to answer for, considering the shortage of skills, particularly among the youth.
"They should explain why they are snubbing the minister. They need to unpack this situation," he said