Gauteng Premier David Makhura has finally agreed to step down, but he says he can only vacate his position in December. Zimoja can reveal that Makhura, who has been under pressure to resign from his position as Premier after the Gauteng ANC elective conference ,which elected his Deputy in the party Panyaza Lesufi as Provincial chairperson, told two provincial officials that he was willing to consider the proposal by the PEC to exit his government post before his term comes to an end.

BAYING FOR HIS BLOOD

However, according to two PEC members close to the matter, the Premier asked that he must be given three months to finish his projects before jumping ship. This, according to the PEC members angered the Provincial Executive members, who felt that he was undermining them as he was privy to the reasons why they wanted to leave immediately. Those who attended the meeting on Friday said there was no PEC member who argued or defended the Premier to remain until the end of his term.
"Everyone was baying for his blood, and for the right reasons. He was approached by the Chairperson and the Secretary two weeks ago to canvass his exit, but he undermined them, even going to an extent of telling them that he did not lose an election because he didn't contest and therefore he can't be ordered around. The officials came back to give a report, and we said to them, they must go back and tell him that we will go to the legislature and get him removed through a motion of no confidence. That's when he became receptive to our message and request for him to go, " said a senior ANC Gauteng leader.

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NOT HAPPY WITH LIFESTYLE AUDITS

Another PEC member said Makhura was seen by most PEC members as stalling his exit, because he was not entirely agreeing to leave now, but asking for more time to compromise most of the ANC leaders through his witch-hunt in government. The witch-hunt, according to ANC leaders in the province, refers to Premier Makhura's new calls for all MEC's in his provincial cabinet to undergo a lie detector test to exonerate themselves to suggestions that most of them were corrupt and benefiting from government contracts. Zimoja can reveal that the first phase of the investigations against the members of the executive council was completed, which was made up of lifestyle audits. But those close to the matter indicated that the Premier was not happy with the outcome of the lifestyle audits because no member was found wanting or having acquired questionable assets through the process  and they said he now wanted to turn the heat on the MEC's by introducing polygraph tests.

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MOVE HIM TO CABINET

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Zimoja can also reveal that the PEC was also discouraged from considering Makhura's request to leave after three months. One of the PEC members said the Premier  did not take the new PEC serious, and the member allegedly reminded the PEC that Makhura did not vote at the Provincial Elective Conference, despite being part of the PEC that had voting rights.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         "We are not surprised that he told our leaders that they can't tell him what to do because he did not contest any position. He still feels like he is in charge, but he is not," said the same PEC member, who also said the body has taken a decision that he must vacate now. Zimoja reported that the Provincial officials had arranged a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa and they had been canvassing him to convince Makhura to leave and for Ramaphosa to accommodate Makhura in his national cabinet so that he doesn't become unemployed following his exit as premier.