KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/ Independent Newspapers
Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s political future seems to be hanging in the balance after failing to make it to the top 10 in the ANC provincial list.
The first KZN woman premier sits at number 31 on the list which makes it unlikely for her to be appointed as MEC even if the ANC retains power in the province after the elections. She was also not on the province’s national list.
With the latest polls tipping former president Jacob Zuma-endorsed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) to do well in the province, the ANC was unlikely to get 31 seats to secure Dube-Ncube’s political future. An election survey conducted by The Brenthurst Foundation found that the MKP will be the largest party with 25% of the vote while the ANC will get 20%. The survey puts the DA and the IFP at 19%.
The ANC’s provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said the list was a true reflection of the will of the party branches that nominated candidates.
He said after branches had finished nominating, the list went to an independent committee, chaired by former premier Willies Mchunu, for verification who then presented it to the extended party provincial executive committee meeting for approval. The PEC did not interfere with the list which meant it was a true reflection of the will of the party branches, he said.
“There is no complaint as the list reflects the will of the branches,” said Mndebele.
On the latest survey putting the ANC at 20%, Mndebele said as a matter of principle the party does not comment on election surveys.
The survey was a joke since the party’s internal understanding, given the reception on the ground, showed that the ANC was flying alone, he said, adding that the MKP would not even be the second-largest party in the legislature.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said it was unfortunate, but not surprising as the writing was on the wall given how Dube-Ncube was humiliated in public when the ANC provincial chairperson overshadowed her at many government events.
Seepe said it was rather a political decision than a performance-based one to sideline Dube-Ncube.
The Zululand University-based professor said by side-lining her the ANC was throwing away a wealth of experience in government and international matters since she was once an ambassador.
“She is as good as gone. Being at number 31 in a contested election like this one means you will be lucky to go to the legislature, let alone get an MEC position. The ANC sometimes contradicts itself: while claiming to advance the women’s agenda, it does the opposite. There is no justification for dumping her given her wealth of experience in governance,” said Seepe.
There have been rumours of a rift between her and ANC KZN chairperson Siboniso Duma and people have been accusing the ANC chairperson of being a shadow premier of the province.
The big outcry which saw the ANC Women’s League intervening, was during the World Cup tour in Durban when the Springboks’ Eben Etzebeth lifted the Webb Ellis Cup with Duma, instead of the premier, as the programme director had announced.
In a hard-hitting statement issued then, the Women’s League lambasted Duma, calling on the leaders to uphold the values of non-sexism and gender equality.
“Gender equality is not an ideal but a fundamental principle that the ANC identifies with. The actions of comrade Siboniso Duma demonstrate a regrettable departure from this essential value,” read the statement.
Dube-Ncube said: “Any future of a deployed member is determined by the organisation which deployed him or her.”
She asked that a request for further comments on this matter be referred to the ANC.
The signs that her political career was on the line was when she unsuccessfully contested for the ANC provincial chairpersonship at the conference in 2022.
She failed to meet the threshold and was disqualified but surprisingly, the ANC under Duma appointed her as the premier.
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