Top ANC trio not included in KZN working committee

PREMIER Willies Mchunu, Transport MEC Mxolisi Kaunda, and former ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma are among the casualties who did not make it to the all-powerful ANC provincial working committee.

The committee, which is responsible for the day-to-day work of the organisation, was elected at the weekend during the first meeting of the provincial executive committee (PEC) in Durban.

Mchunu and Zuma had served on the previous committee by virtue of being members of the top five of the disbanded PEC, while Kaunda had been an elected member of the committee. Sources in the ANC said their exclusion from the committee could impact negatively on their prospects for future deployment.

“Once you are out of these committees, you are likely to be removed from your position in government,” said an insider.

However, provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli has maintained that the provincial cabinet would not be reshuffled anytime soon.

Provincial legislature speaker Lydia Johnson, Greater Kokstad Municipality mayor Bheki Mtolo and the provincial legislature’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) chairperson Maggie Govender also did not make the cut.

Former Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni was elected to the committee, marking her comeback from over two years in the political wilderness.

The ANC Youth League continued its dominance in KwaZulu-Natal politics.

Two of its members, provincial chairperson Kwazi Mshengu and PEC member of the league Vuyiswa Caluza, were elected to serve on the committee. Provincial legislature chief whip Nontembeko Boyce, KwaDukuza mayor Ricardo Mthembu and former PEC member Hlengiwe Mavimbela are some of the new faces in the committee.

Arts and Culture MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu and Harry Gwala mayor Mluleki Ndobe survived the chop.

At the meeting, the ANC also resolved to fast-track the sitting of three outstanding regional conferences, in Moses Mabhida, Lower South Coast and Harry Gwala.

The ANC is expected to announce the dates for the three regional conferences soon.

The three regions remain without elected leadership structures after they were barred by the national executive committee from holding their regional conferences due to political tensions in the three districts.