Education MEC Mbali Frazer, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma and Human Settlements Sipho “KK” Nkosi.
Durban — The future is uncertain for more than 200 staffers who worked for the 10 outgoing KwaZulu-Natal ANC MECs after the party failed to retain the province during the recent elections.
The ANC, which has been in government since 2004 after dislodging the IFP, failed for the first time in 20 years to defend the coastal province with a whopping R150 billion budget.
As the yet-to-be-known provincial government prepared to take the provincial government purse and levers of power, the ANC MECs – including Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube – were clearing their cabinets.
Consequently, the lives of the staffers who worked for them and were linked to their tenures of office – are in limbo.
Some face losing their bonded houses and vehicles, while others have pending instalments for their luxurious vehicles.
A staff member at the premier’s office told the Daily News that their life has been plunged into disarray as the future is bleak.
“We have already received letters telling us to vacate our offices as our contracts will end as soon as the new government is set to take over in the coming days. The future is uncertain at this stage,” said the distraught staffer.
Some MECs are already driving themselves amid the new takeover of the provincial government.
At this stage, it is unclear who the new sheriff in the KZN government would be as the parties are still negotiating behind the scenes with their potential coalition partners after the province was hung with no outright winner.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) won 37 seats in the 80-member provincial legislature.
The IFP bagged 15 seats, the ANC 14, while the DA mustered 11, the EFF only managed two, and the NFP won one seat.
The power dealing is now taking place behind closed doors.
As there is uncertainty over who will govern the province, the affected workers are having sleepless nights.
“The suspense of waiting over who will govern the province adds to my stress. I wish this could quickly pass so that we have a clear indication of our future,” said a worker, who only wanted to be called by his surname, Ngcobo.
The government workers who will be spared are those who are permanently employed by their respective departments.
The premier’s office was approached but did not comment on the looming jobs bloodbath in the provincial government.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that the ANC provincial leadership – led by Siboniso Duma – would be disbanded following the dismal showing in the May 29 elections.
However, the national spokesperson for the ANC, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, shot down these claims, labelling them “fake news”.
“We take collective responsibility where we don’t do well as a party. There will be no leadership that will be disbanded as far as the performance in the recent elections is concerned,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.
Despite this, Bhengu-Motsiri said the party will reflect on what led to the poor performance in the watershed elections.
Political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu said: “There is nothing untoward with new government leaders coming in with people they trust. It happens all the time when there is a change of government.”
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Daily News