Durban — As we move closer to the elections on May 29, the Sunday Tribune will introduce you to some of those who are vying for your vote. Some will be standing for election for the first time, while others might be a bit more familiar.
Lourens de Klerk
Lourens Johannes de Klerk is a member of the IFP and has represented the party as a member of the provincial legislature since 2009. He serves the party on two committees in the KZN legislature, the finance committee and the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa). De Klerk has two law degrees and is a founding partner of Lourens de Klerk Attorneys and has previously represented the IFP in legal matters. On his LinkedIn account, he describes himself as a senior litigation attorney specialising in criminal, constitutional and electoral law.
Cynthia Shinga
Cynthia Mbali Shinga is the provincial chairperson of the NFP in KZN and a member of the provincial legislature. She is the number one candidate for the NFP in this election. Shinga is a businesswoman who hails from the South Coast. She has a special interest in developing women and youth in the small business sector.
Mervyn Dirks
Mervyn Alexander Dirks is number 50 on the provincial candidate list for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP). He has a long history in politics dating back to the 1970s. In the 1980s he was an organiser for the UDF in the Midlands region before joining the ANC where he served in various senior positions.
At one time Dirks was the deputy mayor of the Msunduzi Local Municipality. He also represented the ANC as a MP in the National Assembly and later in the KZN legislature. In February this year, he was expelled from the ANC for allegedly wearing an MKP T-shirt at one of its rallies.
Dirks was linked to a number of controversies while in the National Assembly. He was first accused of threatening to assault an MP. Next, he waved the middle finger at an opposition party member, and he also called for Scopa to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Zoë Solomon
Zoë Solomon is 27th on the DA provincial candidate list. She is currently the ward 66 councillor in eThekwini Municipality which includes the areas of Bluff, Brighton Beach, Wentworth, Fynnlands, Ocean View and various others. Solomon maintains a high profile in the area, where she is well known for her frequent service delivery updates on WhatsApp groups and social media. She attended school on the Bluff where she grew up, and is familiar with the people and their issues.
Mongezi Twala
Mongezi Wellbeloved Twala is top of the EFF’s candidate list for KZN as well as its provincial chairperson. He has served as a member of the KZN legislature since 2019 where he was on the health, co-operative governance and traditional affairs committees. Twala was previously a member of the ANC and an active member of the ANC Youth League under the leadership of Julius Malema. He joined the EFF in 2013.
Sunday Tribune
