The ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Task Team (PTT) Provincial Coordinator, Mike Mabuyakhulu, has condemned what he calls “abuse of power” by Democratic Alliance (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.

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

This response follows a video that circulated on X (formerly Twitter), in which Rodgers, speaking in Kokstad over the weekend, outlined the extent of his powers as Finance MEC within the current multi-party government.

“I 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 is no longer bound by political directives and can now act independently, invoking legislation like section 16 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) to place departments such as Education under administration.

Rodgers confirmed the Department of Education was already under Treasury administration, and warned that the Department of Transport was “a day or two away” from being next.

Mabuyakhulu said Rodgers was abusing the legal powers vested in his office, not to ensure accountability, but to frustrate service delivery.

“He does not deliver houses. He does not deliver infrastructure. He does not actually look at anything that provides services to the people of this province. His role is to look at the bank accounts of the province,” Mabuyakhulu said.

“Now he says he is going to use his power to frustrate those who really must deliver,  and you are delivering on the basis of a highly constrained fiscal framework.”

He further took aim at Rodgers’ suggestion that he does not answer to any political party, despite serving in a coalition government.

“You are telling your own party that you already placed the Department of Education under administration, and you answer to nobody. Not to the ANC. Not to the IFP. Not to the NFP. But you are in government because of those very parties that made you MEC,” Mabuyakhulu said.

“No MEC is a freelancer in government,” he added. “All MECs have individual and collective responsibilities. They report to the Executive Council and the Premier. In a coalition arrangement like the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), you account to each other.”

Mabuyakhulu criticised Rodgers for acting as though the DA held a majority mandate. “You can’t have 11% and still behave as if you had 50% plus one,” he said.

“What we are seeing is clear political targeting of ANC-run departments. Because he has found power in the law, Rodgers now uses that power not for oversight, but to pursue partisan objectives.”

He added that Treasury oversight should be fair and impartial, not influenced by political agendas. “We are not averse to Treasury probing any department where there are legitimate concerns, but you cannot probe when you already have a verdict. That is a manipulation of power,” Mabuyakhulu said.

On the challenges faced by the Department of Education, Mabuyakhulu emphasised that it is the largest department and employer in the province, historically underfunded, with issues that predate the ANC’s administration. He noted that these issues require collective government action and should not be personalised or politicised.

“The Department of Education is the largest department and employer in the province. It has long suffered from underfunding, not a result of ANC mismanagement, but systemic issues that must be resolved collectively by the government.”

He warned that Treasury should not operate with bias or preconceived outcomes. “If there are issues in any department, we are not averse to Treasury probing those allegations. But you can’t probe when you already have a verdict. That is manipulation of power.”

Mabuyakhulu also addressed the recent “war of words” between the ANC Youth League and Rodgers regarding the budget process. He dismissed the issue as settled.

“The ANC Youth League is a vibrant organisation that raises issues, but the budget has passed. We voted for it. We refuse to be sidetracked by scaremongering tactics.”

He again criticised what he called preemptive and politically motivated actions by Rodgers.

“You can’t go to your party and say the Department of Transport is next, that is political targeting. If there are issues, Treasury must investigate them fairly, with an open mind and without prejudice. But you cannot have a verdict before the investigation has even begun.”

“The ANC says if there are difficulties with any government programme, proper investigations must be conducted. But threats to single out departments are manipulations of power that vest in the office, not in individuals,” said Mabuyakhulu.

However, the Democratic Alliance has fired back, dismissing Mabuyakhulu’s statements as misleading and opportunistic.

Sithembiso Ngema, Deputy Provincial Leader of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal, rejected the ANC’s accusations and defended Rodgers’ actions as legally sound and service-oriented.

“What Mabuyakhulu from the ANC is saying about Francois Rodgers is not true, other than political rhetoric,” said Ngema. “What Francois is doing is to ensure compliance in terms of the legislation.”

Ngema highlighted that Rodgers had previously gone out of his way to assist ANC-led departments when they were in financial distress.

“When you look at the Department of Education, when they needed money, they ran to Francois Rodgers’ office and he gave them R900 million to pay for its norms and standards,” Ngema said.

He added that the same was true for the Department of Transport, led by ANC Siboniso Duma, which had failed to pay suppliers and turned to Rodgers’ office for urgent funding.

“They couldn’t pay their suppliers. They ran to Francois Rodgers’ office and he had to source out money for them to be able to pay,” said Ngema.

He further pointed out that even the Premier had approached Rodgers for additional funding to employ more doctors and nurses, a request that the Finance MEC accommodated.

“So Mabuyakhulu is just being opportunistic, and his attack is only trying to grandstand,” Ngema added. “This is not the first time that Francois Rodgers has questioned departments. He has also questioned the Department of Cooperative Governance. So, to say he’s targeting ANC MECs is simply not true.”

Ngema called on the ANC to introspect rather than deflect. “If Mabuyakhulu believes they are being targeted, maybe he must ask: what are they doing wrong? Because on the DA’s side, we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, to ensure that money goes to services for our communities across KwaZulu-Natal.”

“We will continue to serve the people of KwaZulu-Natal. We will continue to ensure accountability. We will ensure that the province is corrupt-free from those who believe they can use public funds to benefit themselves and their comrades.”

Meanwhile, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury confirmed on Wednesday that it has placed the Department of Education under administration due to budget overspending and persistent financial mismanagement. Treasury invoked Section 18 of the PFMA to withhold discretionary funding, excluding employee compensation, school transfers, and conditional grants like the National School Nutrition Programme.

Provincial Treasury spokesperson Nkosikhona Duma explained that all new financial commitments by the department now require Treasury approval, and non-compliance will be considered as a  financial misconduct.

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za 

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