Premier powerless to axe misfiring KZN MECs
KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli.
Image: Supplied
DESPITE calls for Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli to sack the under performing MECs for Health and Education in KwaZulu-Natal, his hands were said to be tied as any cabinet reshuffle would likely collapse the provincial power pact of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU).
At the centre of the storm were Sipho Hlomuka, the MEC for Education, and Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi, the MEC for Health, both senior ANC figures in KZN politics. Their departments account for the lion's share of the provincial budget, yet both have been rocked by controversy and dysfunction claims.
Hlomuka has been under fire from teacher unions amid the crisis besetting his department, including the delayed payment of Grade R teachers and non-payment of service providers. This has sparked widespread condemnation of the Education MEC.
UMphathiswa wezeMpilo KwaZulu-Natal uNksz Nomagugu Simelane, umnyango wakhe okweleta osomabhizinisi uR1.7 billion
Image: SIGCINIWE
Simelane-Mngadi who is at the helm of the ailing health department, has also been on receiving end of criticism from disgruntled service providers who were not paid. She revealed last week that her department owed them R1.7 billion.
Hlomuka was the deputy provincial secretary while Simelane-Mngadi was deputy provincial chairperson for thw ANC in KZN, before the provincial structure was reconfigured in February following poor showing during the last year's national elections.
MEC for Education in KwaZulu-Natal Sipho Hlomuka.
Image: Tumi Pakkies Independent Newspapers
Ntuli, in his capacity as premier, has the powers to appoint and remove members of the provincial executive council.
He is also the IFP provincial chairperson, and assembled his cabinet in June last year, following his election as premier of the province.
Despite the pressure, insiders said Ntuli cannot act unilaterally.
The GPU, an alliance between the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), and the National Freedom Party (NFP), was formed to govern the province after no party secured an outright majority in the last election. Any reshuffle would require consensus from all coalition partners.
This was part of the power-sharing deal agreed to by the said parties.
National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union's (Nehawu) provincial secretary Ayanda Zulu said: "We are not happy with a lot of things that are happening in the department of health as Nehawu. We had a meeting with the MEC and raised the matters that concern us as the union."
Zulu said some of their concerns included the plight of workers amid the ongoing crisis in the department of health.
"Our biggest concern is the workers and people of the province who continue to receive bad service from the department of health," said Zulu.
A source in the provincial government said Ntuli's hands were tied and argued that any reshuffle without the agreement with GPU partners would" backfire spectacularly".
"The reality is that the premier is not happy with the performance of some of his MECs. But if he just replaced them. That would backfire spectacularly for him and this could even collapse the provincial government," said the source.
The provincial secretary for the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) said:" The problems in the education department in KZN are as a result of austerity measures (budget cuts ) and the cost cutting measures imposed by the Provincial Treasury and the Office of the Premier."
A Grade R teacher in KZN, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:" The MEC is clearly failing. I think it's time the province gets a new MEC, maybe they will deliver. But again, the turnaround of the provincial department will not be an overnight thing because of the many crises the department is facing," said the teacher.
Another teachers' union, the National Teachers Union (NATU) have also previously called for accountability, and demanded Premier Ntuli to wield the axe over Hlomuka.
Attempts by Daily News to obtain responses from the offices of Premier Ntuli, MEC Hlomuka, and MEC Simelane-Mngadi were unsuccessful, as their spokespersons failed to respond to inquiries.
DAILY NEWS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
13 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Political parties bemoan inadequate protection for whistleblowers
CAPE TOWN - Political parties have bemoaned the inadequate protection for whistleblowers and the failure to reform the laws that will improve this. During an African National Congress (ANC) sponsored debate calling for guaranteed anonymity, job security and legal support for whistleblowers, every speaker referenced the assassination of Babita Deokaran, who was killed outside her house in 2021 for blowing the whistle on corruption at Tembisa Hospital. Parliamentarians said that despite a raft of laws dealing with whistleblowing, they have given rise to a culture of fear among whistleblowers who are punished rather than protected. Parliamentarians have added pressure on the Justice Department to speed up the process of improving its treatment of whistleblowers. The Protected Disclosure Act and Whistleblowing Act are currently under review by the department. The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Glynnis Breytenbach is calling for the establishment of an independent whistleblower protection agency with prosecutorial referral powers. 'A dedicated, well-funded, autonomous institution must be created to receive disclosures, provide safe channels, investigate threats and offer physical protection.' Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said employers should be prohibited from disciplining officials who make protected disclosures, and should refund them the cost of litigation if an employee wins the case. 'We must similarly make it impossible for those people to be dismissed until the matter has been closed.' Members of Parliament (MPs) are also calling for an incentive fund that will encourage people to come forward to lift the lid on corruption. ALSO READ: Freedom Under Law echoes calls for protection of investigators, whistleblowers in high-profile cases
TimesLIVE
16 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
GNU ministers spent R200m of taxpayers' money on travelling since taking office
Ministers in the government of national unity (GNU) have spent more than R200m on travel expenses since July last year. This was revealed by ActionSA through its GNU performance tracker after receiving replies to parliamentary questions sent to ministers. This week, the party said Deputy President Paul Mashatile and his staff splurged more than R2m on travel expenses for transport and accommodation since last year. In a written reply, Mashatile said he has been on four international trips - to Ireland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and, recently, Japan. A total of R613,214 was spent on flights, R1,235,569 on accommodation and R410,926 for ground transport for all trips. Other costs included laundry services at R8,033 and R51,393 for restaurant services. ActionSA MP Alan Beesley criticised the spending, calling it 'executive indulgence' and 'wasteful expenditure'. 'This sort of wasteful expenditure, an extension of ANC excess now rebranded under the GNU, has become business as usual for the world's most bloated executive,' Beesley said. 'South Africans deserve leadership that puts people before perks and not a R200m travel spree by the world's largest cabinet.' The sport, arts and culture department's travel expenses have also raised concern. Minister Gayton McKenzie said he and his staff undertook 11 international trips costing more than R2m. R164,556 was paid for a trip to Burkina Faso that never took place. 'Not only is this spending exorbitant, but it is riddled with red flags, gaps and inconsistencies. The public paid for flights and accommodation for an event that was abandoned, a textbook case of wasteful expenditure, as defined by the Public Finance Management Act. 'Unless the minister can demonstrate that this loss was unavoidable and efforts were made to recover the funds, this reflects a serious failure of financial oversight and internal control.' ActionSA has introduced the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill to address unchecked government spending. 'This bill seeks to slash ministerial perks and restore much-needed fiscal discipline.'
TimesLIVE
19 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
DA says Joburg mayor's 'Bomb Squad' a ploy to help ANC cadres
The DA says it will scrutinise the appointments and work of the City of Johannesburg's 'Bomb Squad' — a unit the metro says will assist in halting crime, combating lawlessness and unlocking service delivery. On Thursday, mayor Dada Morero announced the members of the squad, which will be led by ANC veteran Snuki Zikalala. The 12-member team will operate for the next two years. However, DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku questioned the constitutionality of establishing the team. She said Morero's initiative was just 'a ploy to help out ANC cadres who have fallen on hard times'. 'It is unclear what the purpose of this squad is and whether it is part of a comprehensive plan to turn service delivery around in Johannesburg,' she said. Kayser-Echeozonjoku said Morero would have to account to the council on which sections of the Municipal Structures Act made provision for what she said were 'seemingly unconstitutional deployees'.
