IN his inauguration speech as KwaZulu-Natal premier, Thami Ntuli acknowledged that none of the political parties had gone into the election on 29 May with the aim of sharing power.
“On the other hand, the men, women, and the youth of our province, however had another objective – which was to ensure that no one organisation or party would receive enough votes to govern on its own. Our people have taught us that they in fact are our real bosses; and we are only their servants.”
Ntuli said the province was at the beginning of a journey of power-sharing among parties.
He paid tribute to his party, the IFP and the other parties who had joined hands with the IFP, towards achieving a Government of Provincial Unity (GPU). He added, “Even those that were not part of this journey, will remain our patriots and co-leaders and we will respect them, in accordance with the wishes of those who elected us”.
“This government I am honoured to lead, stands on the cusp of a new beginning,” Ntuli said.
“We intend to lead a government based on the principles of Ubuntu-Botho. A government that will ensure that service delivery is rolled out to all the people of this province.
“We will abide by uMntwana’s [Mangosuthu Buthelezi ] teaching that every cent of public money must go back to serve those who pay taxes. We wish to ensure you that, we will remain servants of our people, for 24 hours a day. Our people’s cries will be our cries. We will promote and support the work of traditional leadership, and at the same time, we will promote multiculturalism and multiracialism.”
He reaffirmed the collective group’s commitment to respecting the constitution of the country and all institutions and structures provided for in the constitution.
“Henceforth, our government will focus on the values that unite us. We will always seek consensus among different parties in our government.
We have promised that we will prioritise fighting crime and bringing stability to the province. As a result, I have decided to place Community Safety and Liaison, in the Office of the Premier,” Ntuli said.
The provincial cabinet was announced as follows:
- Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs – Musa Zondi
- Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) – Thulasizwe Buthelezi
- Health – Nomagugu Simelane
- Social Development – Mbali Chinga
- Public Works and Infrastructure – Lukas Meyer
- Finance – Francoise Rodgers
- Agriculture and Rural Development – Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa
- Transport and Human Settlements –Siboniso Duma
- Education – Siphosihle Hlomuka
- Sports, Arts and Culture – Mntomuhle Khawula
Ntuli assured the people of the province that the government will promote sustainable dialogue. “Wherein all public and private stakeholders including our partners in NGOs and NPOs, will enjoy unhindered access to us as their servants. We will respect all ideas and contributions that seek to promote and uplift our province.
“Together with my new cabinet, I promise that we will work for you. We will deliver services, opportunities and ultimately, hope and prosperity. I ask the people of KwaZulu-Natal, to partner with us, as we start the process of rebuilding KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
Nontembeko Boyce was elected as speaker and Mmabatho Tembe as deputy speaker of the KZN legislature.