The African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal says it backs the filling of one of two proposed posts for parliamentary royal commissioners to the Zulu king from the ranks of provincial members of parliament — and would not oppose an Inkatha Freedom Party candidate for a post.
This follows a public row between IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi and provincial IFP Premier Lionel Mtshali over the latter’s failure to get former IFP provincial minister Celani Mtetwa the post of royal commissioner.
In an apparently leaked speech to a party formation, Buthelezi expressed his displeasure at Mtshali’s failure to get Mtetwa the post, which was to have been in exchange for having given two seats in the provincial cabinet earlier this year to the African National Congress.
Mtetwa lost his post as public works provincial minister in the deal to save Mtshali from losing a vote of no confidence.
The ANC backed off from ousting Mtshali, but it said on Monday that it had not backed legislation put to the cabinet that intended to create the new post.
Instead it had backed a resolution passed by the KwaZulu-Natal legislature last month — with the backing of the New National Party and the Minority Front — to create one or two high commissioners to Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini who
would be members of the provincial parliament. In other words, those holding the post would be elected politicians.
The IFP wanted the post to be that of a public servant falling under the political direction of the premier’s office. That would have meant that Mtetwa would have taken up the post — and would have had to leave parliament. That too would have created a vacancy in the legislature for the IFP to fill with new blood.
Asked whether the new system, if introduced, would mean that Mtetwa would get one of the posts with ANC backing, ANC spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said that if Mtetwa were nominated “we will not oppose the name of Mtetwa”.
It seems likely, however, if the IFP accepted the new system and nominated Mtetwa, the ANC would nominate a second candidate from its own ranks.
Further discussions are expected during the course of the next few days on ways to resolve what the ANC described as yet another “crisis” in KwaZulu-Natal politics. Buthelezi earlier denied there was any rift with his premier over the matter of Mtetwa’s future. But the speech, quoted in the Sunday Times, indicated his displeasure.
Buthelezi was reported to have described Mtshali as a man who “seems not to have had the wisdom or prudence to follow the leadership which I gave him” — to have Mtetwa appointed.
The newspaper also reported that Buthelezi complained that he regretted that his guidance as a party leader “has not been sufficiently taken into account and respected”.
The ANC now holds the most seats of any party in the legislature and with the support of minor parties holds an overall majority. The new configuration in the legislature arose after members of the Democratic Alliance and the IFP defected to the ANC. — I-Net Bridge
Buthelezi denies rift with KZN premier