Saul honoured to lead Province

THE NORTHERN Cape will strive to become a modern, growing, successful Province under the leadership of the incumbent sixth Premier, Dr Zamani Saul.

Saul’s nomination to lead the Province was unanimously accepted yesterday by all at the first sitting of the sixth provincial legislature held at the Mittah Seperepere Centre.

Saul takes over from Sylvia Lucas who was, during yesterday’s sitting, nominated and seconded as the deputy chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.

During his acceptance speech, Saul committed himself to ensuring that the next five years would be dedicated to the work of building a Province that is modern, growing and successful.

“A modern, growing and successful Province is our key mandate, and indeed represents my greatest hope. Across our different political affiliations, as Northern Capers we have to converge and use the power in our hands to attain this goal. Hence, my invitation to all opposition parties to join the work of the sixth administration in the struggle to attain a better society,” said Saul.

He said he would elaborate on this strategic goal during his inaugural address next week in Lerato Park.

The reason for holding his inauguration in Lerato Park, he explained, was the result of the sixth administration’s pledge to serve the people.

“Lerato Park is one of the most underdeveloped settlements in the Province and we chose the area for the inauguration because it’s time to drag everyone out of their comfort zones. This sixth administration will be uncompromisingly characterised by hard work and outside-the-box thinking to bring about the much-needed changes. Not just changes, but radical changes.

“We pledge our commitment to serve our people with humility, to listen to them and work with them to usher in a modern, growing and successful Province. Within the parameters of our mandate, we are obliged to lead with a deep sense of responsibility given the enormous socio-economic challenges confronting our people.”

Saul went on to say that he would also be working hard to dispel political elitism. He said all the “red carpets and blue lights” have to go.

“Rest assured that this dispensation will not be characterised by political elitism. Now that I’m the premier all of a sudden I cannot go to a grocery store, restaurant, church or gym without bodyguards and a convoy of blue lights. All of a sudden I can’t meet with ordinary people, old friends and comrades without going through the clutches of State protocol. All these frills will come to an end because we are not royalty but political and social activists. All the available resources must be directed to poor communities.”

He said he would also continue to fight the high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality in the Province. “In this struggle to improve the quality of life of our people we derive our courage from history, which tells us that where there is a political will, poverty, unemployment and inequality can be eradicated.”

Saul said that this critical moment, 25 years into democracy, should not be a time to be negative or to despair. “We should all be positive and labour very hard to find solutions for the vast socio-economic problems facing our communities. There is no time to be negative or to despair.”

He also thanked his “political home”, the ANC, for guiding, shaping and mentoring him to ultimately lead the Province.

“My infinite gratitude is extended to this noble organisation which forms the essence of my being and my very existence from a tender age when I became involved in the political activities of the Petrusville Youth Congress.”

He also paid tribute to his parents. “I am a child of illiterate parents (a domestic worker and a labourer). I was brought up in the severest conditions in the informal settlement in Petrusville, a small rural town in the Northern Cape. Today, I confidently stand in the presence of all of you to proclaim that South Africa is filled with immense and limitless possibilities. We must, therefore, take all these possibilities to our people.”

Saul said he was honoured to accept the mandate bestowed on him.

“I am greatly honoured to accept the mandate bestowed on me and my leadership collective by the vast majority of the electorate of the Northern Cape. Of this, I am eternally grateful and deeply humbled. Therefore, I assume the premiership with a clear and unambiguous sense of duty to all the people of our Province.”