Nomusa Dube-Ncube was, on Monday, nominated by the African National Congress (ANC-) as the stand-in Premier of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) following Sihle Zikalala‘s resignation.
Is Nomusa Dube-Ncube KZN’s first-ever female Premier?
KZN’s politics have been very interesting, to say the least, in recent weeks. First, Siboniso Duma, the rumoured leader of the influential Jacob-Zuma-aligned ANC faction, the ‘Taliban’, led a clean sweep at the party’s provincial conference in late July 2022.
Thereafter, Zikalala, faced with immense pressure, threw in the towel and tendered his resignation, and while no formal reason was revealed in his press statement, sources close to the situation hinted that his decision was motivated by fears of a character assassination orchestrated by the ‘Taliban’.
On Monday, Dube-Ncube, a decorated associate of the notorious ANC faction, became the first female Premier of KZN, succeeding Zikalala and seven other high-ranking men who’ve assumed the position since 1994.
Ncube-Dube will be sworn-in later in August 2022. She is expected to stand in as KZN’s Premier until 2024.
Five things to know about Nomusa Dube-Ncube
Before being catapulted to the summit of provincial governance, Dube-Ncube served as KZN’s MEC of Finance. Here are five things to know about Nomusa Dube-Ncube
She holds a Master’s in Public Administration
Dube-Ncube is a holder of a Master’s degree in Public Administration obtained at the University of KZN (UKZN). She also has three diplomas:
- Public Management, obtained at the Durban University of Technology (DUT)
- Management and Leadership, obtained at UKZN
- Training and Development, obtained at UKZN.
She was an ambassador
Following her tenure as Chief Whip of the eThekwini council, which was formed after the metro’s merger in 2000, Dube-Ncube was South Africa’s ambassador to the Czech Republic.
She hails from KwaMashu
Dube-Ncube was born in KwaMashu, a township situated 12km north of central Durban.
She is a widow
Dube-Ncube lost her husband and serial businessman, Sibusiso Ncube, to a ‘short illness’ in 2017.
She is respected in KZN’s traditional politics
Dube-Ncube, prior to her role as Finance MEC, served as a mayoral executive member of corporate governance and traditional affairs in KZN for 10 years.
Reactions to Dube-Ncube’s nomination as KZN Premier
Thus far, the sentiment around Dube-Ncube’s Premier appointment has been positive within ANC branches.
Here are some of the reactions to Dube-Ncube’s ascension to political power in KZN.