His boss said he was placed on special leave – but the North West MEC of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Mmoloki Cwaile issued a wordy statement on Friday denying he had been suspended.
On Thursday North West Premier Prof. Job Mokgoro announced that he was placing Cwaile on special leave but he did not give any reasons.
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However, Cwaile said he, “wishes to place it on record that the media statement purporting that he has been placed on special leave is misleading as it is contradicting what the premier has communicated”.
The premier said: “During the period of MEC Cwaile’s special leave, MEC Desbo Mohono has temporarily been assigned with the functions and powers for the portfolio of cooperative governance, human settlements, and traditional affairs”.
But Cwaile said the message he got on Thursday from the premier did not mention that he was placed on special leave.
He said the premier was within his mandate to assign the work of an MEC to another individual for several reasons.
Cwaile said the reasons include; a member who is absent from office or is unable to exercise that power or perform that function”.
He said the premier “has not suggested which function or power he wishes that another Member of Executive Council should perform and did not suggest such exercise means special leave”.
Cwaile said the challenge was not policy differences but “effective communication and clarification of roles”.
MEC Cwaile said he remains confident that once they have thorough engagements and exchange of notes with the premier they will find common ground.
MEC Mmoloki Cwaile
