Durban – Opposition parties in KwaZulu-Natal have reacted with indifference to news of the resignation and redeployment of former KZN premier Sihle Zikalala to Parliament, saying he had made little impact during his time in the provincial government.
The ANC in KZN announced yesterday that Zikalala, who was MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), has been redeployed to the National Assembly.
Zikalala resigned as premier in August last year, after he failed to be elected as provincial chairperson of the ANC. He was then appointed Cogta MEC while Dube-Ncube replaced him as premier.
In December, he was elected to the National Executive Committee of the ANC at its elective conference.
Zikalala’s redeployment has fuelled speculation that he might be appointed as a minister when Ramaphosa reshuffles his Cabinet.
In a statement the provincial ANC said it had discussed and accepted Zikalala’s resignation as he is being redeployed to the National Assembly.
“He will accordingly resign as the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs following this redeployment. The ANC has informed Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube to process the resignation through formal processes.”
The party said it would announce a new MEC in due course.
“We are confident that in his new deployment, Cde Khuzeni will sustain and accelerate the agenda of the National Democratic Revolution,” the statement read.
EFF provincial secretary Nkululeko Ngubane said Zikalala’s term had been defined by a collapse in governance across the province, with public infrastructure falling apart during his term as premier.
“The fact is that KZN regressed under Zikalala as premier and this was evident from the failure to deal with the impact of the floods. So he will not be missed” said Ngubane.
He said the July 2021 riots were an illustration of a government that was caught unprepared, insisting an alert government should not have allowed the looting of shops and mayhem to take place.
DA spokesperson on local government and Member of the Provincial Legislature Martin Meyer said the move came as no surprise as it was in line with ANC practises.
“When ANC premiers, MECs and chairpersons lose their positions, it is a long-standing practise of the ANC to dispatch them to the national Parliament,” he said.
Meyer said that while Zikalala was only Cogta MEC for a few months, he had no impact on the department’s ability to deal with problems at municipalities.
The DA noted that Zikalala’s replacement will be the third Cogta MEC for the term, which began in 2019 and will conclude next year.
“The leadership changes are unfortunate given that it requires a steady hand rather than a string of different MECs. The new incumbent will be the third MEC since the parliamentary term began in 2019 and the DA sincerely hopes that the ANC will realise the importance of appointing the right person as Cogta MEC,” said Meyer.
According to the DA, the department should be led by an individual with the skills necessary to manage the often complex situation within KZN.
IFP spokesperson on local government Otto Kunene said Zikalala had not been Cogta MEC long enough, but claimed that he had performed poorly as premier.
“He failed to respond to the floods and during his term many municipalities and departments received unsatisfactory reports from the Auditor General and that is the legacy that he leaves behind,” said Kunene.