The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has deployed its former provincial chairperson and former premier Sihle Zikalala to the National Assembly.
Zikalala is set to resign from his role as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC on Tuesday.
The resignation paves way for him to be appointed as either a minister or deputy minister when President Cyril Ramaphosa announces a Cabinet reshuffle.
The ANC in KZN said it had discussed and accepted Zikalala’s resignation.
ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said the ANC told premier Momusa Dube-Ncube to process the resignation.
Mtolo said the resignation had necessitated the reconfiguration of the provincial executive committee. The premier would introduce the new MEC once the ANC had finalised its deployment process and completed consultations with the structures of the ANC.
“The ANC salutes comrade Sihle Zikalala for serving the organisation and the people of this province with distinction. Many comrades and the people of this province will attest to his commitment as her carried out his responsibilities as deployed by the ANC,” Mtolo said.
“We are confident that his new deployment, Zikalala will sustain and accelerate the agenda of the National Democratic Revolution.”
Zikalala was elected to the party’s national executive committee (NEC) after the December Nasrec conference.
Zikalala’s resignation and the expected swearing-in as MPs of ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile and former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau have further fuelled expectations of a cabinet reshuffle, which may see Zikalala and Tau become ministers and Paul Mashatile assume the role of deputy president, replacing David Mabuza.
Mabuza is understood to have offered his resignation after he did not make it into the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC).
This announcement comes after Merwyn Dirks confirmed his resignation as a member of parliament, saying the Speaker had accepted his resignation which was effective from Monday 30 January. Tshilidzi Munyaialso resigned from parliament.
Source: News24, IOL, Sowetan Live, Times Live, Eyewitness News, image from Twitter: @samkelemaseko