A number of Sihle Zikalala’s allies are staring at the axe.
Nomusa Dube-Ncube has been elected as the new premier of KwaZulu-Natal, less than a week after her predecessor, Sihle Zikalala, resigned after losing the contest to be the ANC’s provincial chairperson.
A wide-scale reshuffle of the provincial cabinet is expected to follow the election of the new premier. Sources say it may take place as soon as 11 August, with a number of Zikalala’s allies expected to face the axe.
Economic development, environmental affairs and tourism MEC Ravi Pillay has resigned from his post — and as a member of the provincial legislature (MPL) — paving the way for the new ANC chairperson, Siboniso Duma, to take over the portfolio.
Dube-Ncube, who has previously served as the province’s cooperative governance, economic development and finance MEC, is the first woman to be elected as premier in the province.
Dube-Ncube defeated the Democratic Alliance candidate, Mmabatho Tembe, by a margin of 45 to 11, in a vote held as part of a special legislature sitting held in Mooi River.
She was sworn in shortly thereafter.
In her first address as premier, Dube-Ncube said “democracy is alive” in the province and committed herself and her administration to open and accountable governance.
Dube-Ncube said she had always “sought to do what is best for the people of this province” and said that “we dare not disappoint our people” in this regard.
She said she would “serve diligently” and would play a “more visible role” in promoting government programmes, but would not interfere in the functions of line departments.
Dube-Ncube said she had a history of clean governance in the portfolios she had occupied and that this would continue in her role as premier.
“We will also ensure transparency, accountability and good governance in all spheres of government.”
She said “the whole country” was celebrating the fact that the ANC had finally appointed a woman as premier in KwaZulu-Natal.
Although the ANC provincial leadership on Monday played down talk of a cabinet reshuffle, one is inevitable, not only to fill vacancies but to consolidate the control of the so-called Taliban faction over the provincial administration.
Duma has placed emphasis on the need for the province’s development bank, the Ithala Development Finance Corporation, which falls under economic development, to secure a commercial licence in line with the ANC’s policy of creating a state bank.
The swearing in of provincial treasurer Ntuthuko Mahlaba as an MPL on Wednesday paves the way for him to be appointed as health MEC, with deputy chairperson Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu likely to be moved to the education portfolio.
Contenders for the finance portfolio, vacated by Dube-Ncube, are transport MEC Peggy Nkonyeni and Sipho Nkosi, a member of the provincial standing committee on public accounts.
The new provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo, has resigned as Kokstad mayor since he was elected but, because the secretary’s post is a full time one, he is likely to only become an MPL and not a member of cabinet, as was the case with his predecessor, Mdumiseni Ntuli.
It is not clear at this stage whether education MEC Kwazi Mshengu and his counterpart in human settlements, Jomo Sibiya, and speaker Nontembeko Boyce, will survive the reshuffle, despite both making it to the provincial executive committee as additional members.
Voice notes and lists circulated among the ANC regions indicate that Mshengu and Sibiya will not be retained in cabinet and that Boyce will also be recalled as speaker by the governing party.
The provincial ANC leadership is also understood to want to accommodate MPLs Amanda Bani and Mbali Frazer — whose names were sent to the national executive committee as potential premiers along with that of Dube-Ncube — in the provincial cabinet. They are set to be included at the expense of Mshengu, Boyce, Sibiya and others who stood as part of Zikalala’s slate.
Sports and culture MEC Hlengiwe Mavimbvela is also understood to be on her way out, with Bani tipped as a likely replacement for her.
Sipho Hlomuka, the new deputy secretary, is expected to move from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to transport and public safety, while agriculture MEC Bongi Moloi is expected to replace him at the department.