The move, seen as a result of factional battles within the African National Congress, was already criticised by political parties and analysts.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala (left) watches as Ravi Pillay (centre) is sworn in as Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC on 17 November 2020. Picture: @kzngov/Twitter
DURBAN – KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala on Tuesday said his Cabinet reshuffle was taken in a bid to accelerate transformation.
Zikalala moved Nomusa Dube-Ncube from the provincial Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Department to become the province’s new finance MEC.
Ravi Pillay, who previously headed the Finance Department, was moved to Dube-Ncube’s old post, becoming the provincial leader of government business.
STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER OF KWAZULU-NATAL, MR SIHLE ZIKALALA ANNOUNCING THE RECONFIGURATION OF THE PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL pic.twitter.com/cm1PPUY116
KZN Provincial Gov (@kzngov) November 17, 2020
The move, seen as a result of factional battles within the African National Congress (ANC), is already being criticised by political parties and analysts.
Zikalala said Dube-Ncube and Pillay would perform better in their new departments, over a year since he first announced his executive committee.
The premier said Dube-Ncube was fit to run the provincial Finance Department because she had previously served as speaker of the eThekwini Municipality, where he claimed she acquired finance management skills.
“The reality is that it always helps to deploy a person who has an understanding or more expertise in that particular area,” Zikalala said.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Dube-Ncube avoided responding to direct questions on the matter.
“It’s work that needs to be done and whatever needs to be done, needs to be done,” she said.
Meanwhile, political analyst Xolani Dube said Zikalala reshuffled the provincial executive committee for his own political preservation at the expense of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
