Durban – The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the cabinet reshuffle that was announced by acting premier Nomagugu Simelane on Tuesday morning.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube was said to be out of the country on government business and would be back after three days. Following the mysterious resignation of Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Amanda Bani-Mapena early last month, the acting premier has appointed Sipho Nkosi as the new Human Settlements and Public Works MEC.
Nkosi, who was SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) secretary in the province before moving to the legislature, replaced Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, who has been moved to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Simelane explained the absence of Mahlaba during the swearing-in ceremony, that there was no reason for him to be there since he was not a new MEC in the cabinet but was being moved to another portfolio.
In a statement issued by the ANC in the province, it said it was confident that Nkosi will speed up the roll-out of socio-economic infrastructure as part of job creation, poverty alleviation, and to ensure improved quality of lives of the people of this province.
“With a strong background in organised labour, having served as the provincial secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers Union (KZN), we believe that Cde Nkosi will ensure that all categories of staff pull in the same direction in order to strengthen service delivery in both departments,” read the statement.
Previously, Nkosi served as the chairperson of the legislature’s portfolio committee on finance, and with his wealth of experience, the ANC said he will ensure that every cent of the budget is accounted for by both departments.
The ANC further said Nkosi’s understanding of the Public Finance Management Act will enable him to ensure that taxpayers’ money is used to build quality houses and that contractors responsible for shoddy service are blacklisted.
The party said he will prioritise people in rural areas and those living in informal settlements as he understands that the ANC does not want anyone left behind.
In addition, he will drive the construction of government infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, clinics and other facilities in line with the ANC manifesto of bringing government services closer to the people where they live.
Furthermore, the party said houses for people displaced by devastating floods will receive his urgent attention. This also includes government infrastructure which was destroyed by ravaging floods.
“As the governing party, the ANC wants proper planning and execution of projects with all relevant stakeholders playing an active role. The silo mentality will be a thing of the past.
“We want emerging entrepreneurs, women-owned co-operatives, the youth and people with disabilities to be assisted to enter the mainstream construction industry. This is in line with the government’s policy of using infrastructure roll-out to stimulate the economy.”
The party and the acting premier were quick to dismiss the notion that Mahlaba’s move to Sport, Arts and Culture was a demotion. The acting premier said moving Mahlaba, who is the party’s provincial treasurer, was a clear indication of how seriously the party takes the department.
The ANC said it wanted to continue to emphasise the importance of ensuring that the creative industry is supported to enhance its job creation potential.
It said that Mahlaba, as guided by the ANC, will strengthen programmes focusing on partnerships with industry stakeholders to unlock the potential of the sport, art and culture industries, adding that in this regard, Mahlaba was mandated to embark on a series of consultative engagements with various strategic stakeholders within the creative arts, culture and heritage sectors.
“He will solicit their input on how to bridge the gap between the ANC government and the people on the ground. Importantly, we want KZN to continue to host national and international sporting activities as we have done over the years.”
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