ANC KZN legislature chief whip Super Zuma appointed as Agriculture MEC

ANC KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature chief whip, Super Zuma, is rumoured to be a front-runner in the race to replace Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, Sihle Zikalala — who resigned a week ago.

According to sources within the ANC in KZN, an influential lobby group within the party is pushing for Zuma to be appointed to the provincial cabinet.

“If you look at the dynamics within the ANC in KZN, the only reasonable thing to do under the circumstances is to co-opt comrade Super into the provincial cabinet position,” a source within the ANC provincial leadership said.

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A former ANC KZN provincial secretary, Zuma — who is currently also a member of the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) — is widely viewed as the only member of former president Jacob Zuma’s inner-circle still serving in the ANC PEC.

The lack of former president Zuma’s key supporters within the ANC provincial leadership structure and the KZN government has led to some of his supporters concluding that his backers within the party were being purged.

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“It’s important to have that perception corrected, particularly at this critical moment when we are heading for the elections. It’s extremely important for the millions of people in this province supporting president Zuma to feel that they are being accommodated within the ANC in KZN,” an ANC regional leader who is one of the former president’s key supporters said.

Search for new Cogta MEC
A week ago Zikalala resigned from his Cogta MEC position to take up an MP position in the National Assembly.

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His resignation has sparked a search for his replacement.

While those lobbying for Super Zuma wants him to be part of the provincial cabinet, they don’t necessarily want him to be deployed to the Cogta portfolio.

“All we are saying is that he should be part of the provincial cabinet,” the ANC regional leader said. Approached for comment, Super Zuma said he did not take the speculations that he was about to be appointed MEC seriously.

Yes, it could be true that there are those kind of rumours circulating but such speculations have no bearing on the process of appointing an MEC.
“I have been an ANC provincial secretary and know how the process works. The ANC follows proper processes when deploying its cadres. The party doesn’t take into account such feelings when deploying its cadres,” he said.

However, DA provincial leader, Francois Rodgers, said the opposition party believed ANC internal politics played a major role in the appointment of an MEC.

“The DA in KwaZulu-Natal today calls on premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube not to allow internal ANC politics to delay the appointment of a new Cogta MEC in the province.

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“The delay in appointing a new MEC also raises serious questions around whether the ANC in KZN has a succession plan and whether it even has the capability to fill the position,” Rodgers said.

ANC provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo, however denied that there were delays in the appointment of Zikalala’s replacement.

“Frankly speaking, we don’t take the DA’s concerns seriously.

“Zikalala resigned just a few days ago and now there is the push from the DA for the process to appoint a replacement to be rushed. No, the DA should respect processes,” he said.