Sources say relations between Dube-Ncube and ANC bosses have broken down

Just two months into her new job, there are already rumours that daggers are out for KwaZulu-Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube amid growing speculations of a fallout with ANC bosses in the province.

According to sources, the relationship between Dube-Ncube and the ANC KZN top five leadership, which in August pushed for her to be appointed as premier, has hit rock bottom.

“There is a view within the ANC provincial leadership that she is sidelining the ANC leadership. There is a strong perception that she is carrying on as if she is independent,” a source within the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) said.

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Dube-Ncube, whose bid to be elected ANC provincial chairperson during August’s provincial conference failed, is currently a member of the party’s PEC.

The premier, who was the Treasury MEC when she was promoted to the higher office, was elected as one of the ANC’s more than 30 PEC members by conference delegates who elected the current economic development MEC, Siboniso Duma, as ANC provincial chairperson.

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While ANC traditions dictates that the person who has been elected as party provincial chairperson should also occupy the premier position to avoid what ANC members refer to as “two centres of power” the PEC resolved to recommend Dube-Ncube for the top government position.

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In recommending Dube-Ncube for the premier position, the ANC PEC justified its decision by saying she was “the most experienced government leader amongst all the members of the PEC”.

However, two months into her appointment, the relations between the ANC KZN leadership and Dube-Ncube seem to have soured.

The Witness has since established that one of the causes of the conflict between Dube-Ncube and the ANC PEC revolved around who should become the premier’s spokesperson.

According to sources, the ANC provincial leadership wants former provincial Human Settlements MEC spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, who served as the spokesperson of both former premiers — Zweli Mkhize and Senzo Mchunu — to be Dube-Ncube’s spokesperson.

When comrade Nomusa was deployed as premier, the ANC leadership simultaneously deployed Ndabe to her office so that he could handle all media-related matters in that office.

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While Sibiya briefly assumed the title of premier spokesperson, Dube-Ncube is rumoured to have since opted to use Lennox Mabaso — the current KZN government provincial spokesperson, as her spokesperson.

This is one of the examples showing her disregard of the decisions of the ANC leadership. It’s things such as the premier spokesperson matter which are causing the tensions between her and the ANC provincial leadership.

As things stand, it’s not clear whether Sibiya was still in Dube-Ncube’s office.

Approached for comment on whether he was still the premier’s spokesperson, Sibiya said he has nothing to say about the matter.

I have no comment.

However, ANC provincial spokesperson, Mafika Mndebele, said the rumours that Sibiya was no longer Dube-Ncube’s spokesperson was “news to me”.

Since the premier’s election in August we have been under the impression that Ndabe was the person responsible for media matters in the premier’s office. Our view is that he is one of the best communicators in the country.

But Mndebele rejected rumours that it was the ANC provincial leadership which deployed Sibiya to Dube-Ncube’s office.

That one is a lie. Ndabe moved to the office in August when the premier was elected.

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On the ANC provincial leadership’s relationship with Dube-Ncube, Mndebele said rumours that there were tensions were “an old strategy designed to divide the ANC”.

We are not surprised at all about that kind of lie because there always have been elements bent on driving a wedge between the ANC and its deployees. The ANC leadership in KZN has full confidence in the premier.

By late on Tuesday afternoon Mabaso was yet to respond to questions sent by The Witness to the premier on WhatsApp.