LIMPOPO Premier Phophi Ramathuba has been accused of making unrealistic promises and trying to distance herself from the failures of predecessor Stan Mathabatha’s government of which she was part for a decade. 

According to opposition parties and some ANC leaders, Ramathuba’s official opening of the Limpopo Legislature speech was “out of touch with reality” and an attempt to present herself as a saviour who was out to clean up the previous administration’s mess.  

On Friday, the premier officially opened the seventh provincial legislature in Polokwane. She promised to take Limpopo to greater heights, stimulate economic growth, upgrade infrastructure and relaunch collapsed projects such as the Zebediela Citrus Estate, Lebowakgomo Chicken Abattoir and the upgrading of the Maphutha Malatji Hospital in Phalaborwa. 

Ramathuba repeatedly emphasized that “things have changed”, in what was believed to be a reference to her breakaway from the dominant faction led by former ANC provincial treasurer Danny Msiza. Ramathuba is thought to have turned against her former allies after Luthuli House confirmed her as premier. She marginalized former MECs close to Msiza, in what has been seen as part of a wider plan to undo Mathabatha’s legacy. 

Like all her predecessors, Ramathuba promised to reduce poverty, create sustainable jobs, tackle the high cost of living, pay service providers within 30 days and “build a capable, ethical and developmental state.” She added that her administration’s job plans would focus on harnessing the potential of key sectors such as mining, agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. 

“We will use the same energy to reach the pinnacle of this government’s programme of action to liberate our people in general and women in particular from poverty, hunger, unemployment and inequality. As we run the gauntlet of the ensuing five years, we are on course with a cogent plan to achieve more rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and job creation; to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; to build a capable, ethical and developmental state,” Ramathuba said. 

Not everyone was impressed with Ramathuba’s speech. 

ANC sources said some party leaders, especially those who served alongside the premier in Mathabatha’s Executive Council, viewed her speech as proof that she was trying very hard to insulate herself from the previous government’s failures. They said she presented herself as a “brand new messiah” who was out to clean up the previous government’s mess. 

“Our view is that Phophi is talking as if we messed up, and she is brand new and here to fix things — as if she was not part of the previous administration. I mean, she has been there in the meetings and everything. So, what makes her say things like those? It’s bad and hurting,” said an ANC source.  

Giving members of her executive council tight deadlines to deliver, Ramathuba ordered Agriculture MEC Nakedi Sibanda-Kekaka and Economic Development MEC Tshitereke Matibe to relaunch failed projects such as the Lebowakgomo Chicken Abattoir and Zebediela Citrus Estate within months and give her reports “on-site”. 

She instructed Sibanda-Kekana to prioritize rural farmers like Wendy Moshakga, who “have demonstrated a keen determination to work the land without getting any government assistance”. 

“Another sensitive area of concern is two agricultural projects, namely: Lebowakgomo Chicken Abattoir and the Mashashane Hatchery that have for a long time given us some consternations. We have already interacted with both the MEC [Tshitekere Matibe] and HOD of LEDET to explore means of reviving the project. In two weeks, I shall be receiving the updated progress report on site, because “office must fall,” said Ramathuba. 

She added: “The Zebediela Citrus Project is another project that has held our plans back, to unlock economic opportunities for our people due to various challenges related to the management, ownership and beneficiation.”

“To this effect, we have directed the MEC for Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Honourable Baldwin Tshitereke Matibe, to pay full attention to this imperative and game-changing project by, amongst others, implementing a 6-month turnaround plan.”  

Ike Kekana, the Chairperson of the Save Zebediela Citrus Estate Committee, said he was “excited and not excited” about Ramathuba’s plan to revive the estate because it was nothing new. He said Mathabatha promised to do just that during his State of the Province Addresses (SOPA) last year but nothing came out of it. 

The former SABC presenter said that while they welcomed Ramathuba’s plans, reviving the project within six months was a “pipe dream” because of the extent of the damage.

Harvesting citrus would take up to six years because all the crops had died.  

“If you take a trip there now, you will find that there is nothing there. All the crops are burned out or dead, and the fence has been stolen. And you are talking about six hundred thousand hectares of land. It’s a huge area. You can’t do it within months. Like I am saying, there is no harvest this year. If she says she wants bags of oranges from Zebediela, she’s not going to get it now. But with proper planning, you can revive it,” Kekana said. 

He accused the Limpopo government, of which Ramathuba was part for 10 years, of failing to intervene when he informed them in 2016 that the Communal Property Association (CPA) was running down the estate.

Instead, added Kekana, Mathabatha and Director General Nape Nchabeleng questioned his credentials when he brought the matter to their attention.  

“We went to the premier and the Director General of the province, and they looked the other way. They were evening questioning my locus standi (credentials), who are you when I told them my mother is a beneficiary, and things are not going well. In fact, the Zebediela Estate would not have collapsed had they listened to me at that time,” Kekana maintained. 

The 25 000 hectares farm, once the jewel of Zebediela Village near Mokopane, had an annual turn over of more than R30 million. It employed hundreds of people from the area and beyond. However, it is now in ruins, citrus trees have died, and dozens of employees have been retrenched.

In her speech, Ramathuba also promised to expedite the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ), which failed to create the 22 000 jobs promised 10 years ago. She said they “experienced some hurdles and hindrances that have delayed the realization of this noble dream”. She added that “we dare not succumb to failure in this catalytic project”. 

On the economic front, Ramathuba pledged to support Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and create a dedicated industrialisation fund to create jobs.  

“We will focus on the implementation of our township and rural economy strategy. It is against this background that the province has dedicated 30% of procurement spend to support local production by SMMEs and cooperatives. It is in this light that we direct the MEC for Provincial Treasury, Honourable Kgabo Mahoai, to ensure that this is realized without fail. We will not drop the ball on the payment of suppliers within 30 days by all provincial departments and entities is non-negotiable. Not under my watch!” Ramathuba said. 

She also promised to resolve the ongoing water crisis in Limpopo. The problem has resulted in millions of residents sharing dirty water with animals and leaving taps dry even in the provincial capital Polokwane. 

Earlier, Ramathuba had entered the venue with great fanfare flanked by Limpopo Legislature Speaker Makoma Makhurupetje.

The EFF, the official opposition in the Limpopo Legislature, described Ramathuba’s promises as unrealistic. Leader Lawrence Mapoulo said the premier made “a number of promises which are not easily implementable”.

“Unfortunately, she was just dreaming. She didn’t speak to the real people who are voting like gogos who are found in the villages still drinking water with animals. It’s quite unfortunate that she won’t meet the promises that she has set for herself within 100 days. Secondly, she was addressing us like she was addressing her own cabinet. We know where she is coming from. She migrates from a department with a baggage of sins. I think she is going to carry those sins into Mowaneng [Premier’s Office]. At the end of her speech, she said ‘Things have changed’,” Mapoulo said.  

“Indeed, things are going to change for the worse. Our people are going to struggle. I don’t think there is any child who is going to be employed by this government. What they are doing now, they are on their way to looting. We have reliable information that they can see that they would never make it come the next elections. Now, they are preparing themselves. They can see what is happening at the top. Others tell us straight that, ‘we are working for an exit because the ANC is dying,” he added.   

Jacques Smalle, the Limpopo DA Chairperson, said Ramathuba was “not in touch with the real issues within the Limpopo province.” He said she made promises that might lead to unauthorized expenditures and create “false expectations.”  

“She has created unexpected financial burdens for the provincial and local government institutions by calling on both to increase yellow feet, move away from their contractual obligation and employ soft labour positions like plumbers and electricians knowing very well that the state is currently clamping down on expenditure and the reduction of budgets,” Smalle said.

Hence this might lead to unauthorized expenditure and unfunded budgets going forward. All municipalities have concluded their IDPs and already signed off on their budgets, their Medium Term Expenditure Framework. Forcing new obligations on them or the Treasury when the budgets have been concluded would create pressure and also false expectations.”

He added that Ramathuba’s instruction to Sibanda-Kekana to prioritize rural farmers was “worrying.” Smalle said the order was against the spirit of a transparent procurement process and upholding the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), which the DA believed in. 

“Talking about a quick turn-around time dealing with Zebediela Estate and Chicken Abattoir, which are both big projects of either land reform or the department of LEDET that have failed over the last decade, the chicken abattoir had commitments with Goseame and the PIC, and that questions the validity of some of the commitments that were entered into by the Sixth Administration.”

“The premier, knowing fully that Zebediela has collapsed and sold off its assets, and the plan to revive that project would be well over R100 million, proves that she is out of touch with her surroundings,” Smalle added.