DA MEC slammed for ‘targeting ANC-run departments’

THE ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Task Team coordinator, Mike Mabuyakhulu, has condemned what he calls “abuse of power” by the DA leader in the Legislature and KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Francois Rodgers, accusing him of politically targeting ANC-run departments under the guise of financial oversight.

- HOPE NTANZI

Speaking at a briefing held at the ANC provincial office in Durban on Wednesday, Mabuyakhulu described Rodgers’ threats to place departments under administration as “political targeting that cannot be left unchallenged”.

This response follows a video that circulated on X in which Rodgers, speaking in Kokstad recently, outlined the extent of his powers as Finance MEC within the current multiparty government.

“1 don’t build houses, I don’t build roads, I don’t repair anything, I don’t have anything to do with infrastructure, but I have an enormous amount of power in government,” Rodgers said.

He added that, unlike during the ANC's one-party rule, he was no longer bound by political directives and could now act independently, invoking legislation like section 16 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) to place departments such as Education under administration.