Durban — The re-elected speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Nontembeko Boyce, appealed to all members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) to put aside their political differences and work for the improvement of the lives of the province’s citizens.
Speaking after being elected in a tightly contested race against former Msunduzi deputy mayor Mervyn Dirks from the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) on Friday, Boyce stressed the importance of focusing on ensuring that KZN citizens’ living conditions improved.
“Democracy is a mess, but what sets us apart may not be as important as what unites us,” said Boyce in an appeal for unity among fellow MPLs.
A teacher by profession and a union activist formerly with the SA Democratic Teachers Union, she is renowned for her activism, especially on gender-related matters. She arrived in the KZN Legislature as an ANC office-bearer before becoming an MPL, where she rose through the ranks, occupying other positions, including chief whip.
She had been tipped for a possible position in the executive, but such prospects were thwarted by the ANC’s poor showing in last month’s polls, where the party finished third behind the MKP and IFP.
Sunday Tribune