NDABEZINHLE SIBIYA
Undoubtedly, the year 2023 will be the most interesting one.
While we do not have the date of the next general election, we are all aware that the elections will be held in 2024 to elect political parties that will represent the aspirations of South Africans in the national parliament and provincial legislatures.
Political parties are already gearing themselves up for campaign programmes as next year marks the end of the electoral mandate.
As we count down to the general elections, it is important to reflect on the journey of building a stronger KwaZulu-Natal over the years.
KZN was a different province that was once ravaged by violence and smitten with hostility and bitterness, especially between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
Many people will remember the speaker Gideon Sipho Mdhlalose having a tough time in containing the often unruly legislators who often disregarded his authority and exchanged unpleasantries not fit to be published here.
I recall the time when a standoff spilled to the premise outside the KZN legislature in Pietermaritzburg. Once there, KZN legislature members from both the IFP and the ANC drew guns against one another as two groups clashed at the entrance gate. This shocked the police. The media published photos of the standoff, and everyone was aghast.
When a statement had to be made to explain such conduct, the two members produced evidence of how they had acted responsibly as leaders to cool down fighting radicals on either side.
On another day, a party leader decided to wait in the corridor to physically finish a debate that could not be concluded verbally as their language was found unsuitable for the house. Strong persuasion ultimately prevented the premises from being converted into a boxing ring.
Sometimes, the house would break out in songs that were typical of the tensions in the hinterland. It was not uncommon for political differences in the KZN legislature to spill over into tension in the community instead of the house resolving them.
We must pay tribute to two leaders who led both parties - Dr Frank Themba Mdlalose, the former Chairperson of the IFP, First Premier, and President Jacob Zuma, who was also the ANC National Chairperson, Chairperson of the ANC in KZN and MEC for Economic Development and Tourism. They led bilateral meetings and calmed down a lot of conflicts, and brought about sanity.
Through various peace initiatives and bilateral meetings between the ANC and the IFP, the atmosphere of political intolerance was transformed to create a new spirit of open but peaceful competition and cooperation.
The robust debate and a climate of co-existence of political parties were also created, and this ensured that despite holding different opinions, all members of the legislature worked together to champion the government’s agenda of developing KwaZulu-Natal economically and socially.
Though we still have challenges, the manner in which members of the KZN legislature have conducted themselves since 1994 demonstrated the desire on their part to ensure that they become more relevant to the electorate and that they are able to address their needs.
This is extremely important because failing to do so would have resulted in the long-term decline in the authority of the KZN Legislature and the respect for the government institutions - and ordinary members of society would have become losers.
Over the next few months, I will reflect on my personal experiences growing up in KwaZulu-Natal under the KwaZulu government and former premiers:
Notable, even though former premiers, amongst others, Dr Frank Mdlalose, Dr Ben Ngubane, Lionel Mtshali, Sbu Ndebele, and Dr Zweli Mkhize, had serious moments of disagreements, they did their best under difficult circumstances to uphold the dignity of their offices. They had charted a path that must be followed to take this province to prosperity.
We need to relate interesting times during that experience of building a government from the different backgrounds and tough and challenging environments that they did not only work under but also had to transform for the better. The short-lived tenure of Dr Ben Ngubane as Premier was a reflection of the political dynamics of those days.
This province moved from the IFP-led government of provincial unity to a coalition government in 1999 led by the Honourable Lionel Mtshali. And later, the ANC led an inclusive government with invited parties led by Premier Sbu Ndebele.
These were very important initiatives to help the province to heal and ensure acceptance of divergent views and elimination of no-go zones. That these were often stormy and rough is the price they had to pay to progress to normality.
That we could host an executive that consists of one party today is a reflection of the maturity of both members of the KZN legislature and grassroots membership and party rank and file.
Together, they committed themselves to ensure the defence of the sacred freedom that we won as a result of a long, difficult and costly struggle.
On many occasions when these leaders faced difficulties, such as the resurgence of violence in various parts of the province, they reminded themselves that the protection of freedom required permanent vigilance.
From 2004, with ANC as a governing party, the organisation pledged to devote itself to continue to work with leaders of all political parties because they had realised that peace and stability were key enabling factors for KwaZulu-Natal’s reconstruction and redevelopment.
The ANC took a firm stand that KZN would not become a destination for foreign direct investment if there was continuing political violence, with leaders of political parties often attacking each other publicly just to advance narrow party interests.
The organisation took a firm commitment to invest more in social infrastructure such as education and health and to build transport networks that would become catalysts for socio-economic development.
About twenty-nine years into our democratic South Africa, the province of KwaZulu-Natal, in particular, has been transformed into the peace haven and destination of choice for global investors and holidaymakers from all over South Africa and the globe.
The people of this province were mobilised to be part of the re-branding of KZN, which was presented to the world as a province characterised by good governance and hard work.
The excellent infrastructure developed over the years ensured that this province became a serious economic player competing on equal footing with economies of the world.
It is not surprising that over the years, we have seen inward investments and the flow of goods, services, knowledge and a variety of skills in health, digital economy and engineering into this province.
Marketing efforts generated interest resulting in the provincial government hosting numerous business delegations from many countries. The ANC government in the province, in turn, undertook fact-finding missions to different parts of the world as part of efforts aimed at ensuring that the KZN economy serves as an engine for South Africa and Africa’s socio-economic development.
Indeed, this province has successfully hosted international events of note, thereby putting KZN on the global map.
When we attained democracy in 1994, KZN was the third contributor to the national GDP behind the Western Cape. In 2013 KZN was the second largest economy in SA, recording a GDP of R322bn.
KZN has also been one of the fastest growing economies, growing at 4% per annum between 2001 and 2005 and at 3.3% from 2006-2009 despite the recession.
KZN economy outperformed the national economy during 2012, 2.95% vs 2.55%;
By 2013, the KZN Growth Index had increased by 16.7%;
In 2013, the KZN Barometer recorded an increase of 18%;
In 2013, the KZN Investment Monitor increased by 20%;
In 2013, the KZN Risk Index turned favourable for the first time in three years.
This success must be attributed to the hard work of the members of the KZN legislature. The partnership between government, private sector and organised labour has also ensured that over the years all leaders worked together to create an economy that is both globally competitive and inclusive.
Over the past four years, we saw more work going into the restructuring of the provincial government and emphasis had been on more effective service delivery processes and the introduction of a more integrated approach in the provision of government services to our people through Operation Sukuma Sakhe.
All MECs, including the Premier, were assigned as champions for rural development in all the districts to help the above campaign of fighting poverty.
This campaign ensured that services were brought together at the level of communities in the wards, and it empowered communities to discuss service delivery issues with various government officials who do not necessarily work at ward levels in a venue designated as a war room. This strategy has been implemented to coordinate the efforts of various sectors and mobilises society for a common purpose.
The road to political freedom in KwaZulu-Natal was indeed long and thorny. We need to draw lessons from the past as we move forward.
Ndabezinhle Sibiya is a communicator and writes in his personal capacity.
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