Mosunkutu has called it a day

A SENIOR ANC official in Gauteng, Khabisi Mosunkutu, has resigned from the provincial legislature after more than a decade as a member of the executive in various portfolios.

His resignation last week came after he was relieved from his duties as MEC for community safety by premier Nomvula Mokonyane last November.

During the reshuffling, Mokonyane said the decision was informed by political dynamics rather than incompetence of individual members.

Mosunkutu's relegation to the legislature benches to be an ordinary member of provincial legislature happened immediately after the ANC provincial conference in Tshwane last year.

Many people attributed his axing as MEC to the fact that he was believed to have supported the faction that lost the ANC leadership race in the province.

Mosunkutu yesterday said he had resigned to concentrate on personal issues and "to attend to other matters".

He declined to comment when asked whether his axing as MEC was influenced by the outcomes of the ANC conference.

Mosunkutu also served as MEC for public transport, roads and works, department of agriculture, conservation and environment.

It was during his tenure as MEC for transport that taxi violence subsided because of his strategy to close taxi ranks where there was violence.

"Just think of a single mother of four children who gets killed on her way to work because of a taxi route dispute, what do you say to her children as government?"

He added that there were many operators who were not war mongers.