Durban - Former police national commissioner Bheki Cele has been named top of the ANC’s province-to-national election list which means he will become a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly, ANC KwaZulu-Natal spokesman Sihle Zikalala confirmed on Tuesday night.
The flamboyant politician has been out in the cold since he was sidelined after a corruption scandal involving the purchasing of police buildings in Pretoria and Durban.
Tuesday night’s announcement sees him return to politics in a respected leadership role.
Nomusa Dube, KwaZulu-Natal’s Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, has topped the ANC provincial list, securing a leadership role in the provincial legislature.
A respected politician, Dube was a Speaker for the eThekwini Municipality and ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Second on the provincial list is ANC chairman and premier, Senzo Mchunu. He took over as premier of the province after the position was vacated by Zweli Mkhize who moved to Joburg to work as the ANC treasurer-general.
Finance MEC Ina Cronje, who is widely credited with whipping the province’s books back into the black, comes in at number three. Cronje, who delivered her budget address on Tuesday, has introduced austerity measures to ensure the provincial budget is spent on service delivery.
Altogether there are 79 names up for positions in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature. At number four is Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu, Economic Development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu is five, education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni is six, Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo is at seven, deputy speaker Mtholephi Mthimkhulu is eight, Agriculture and Environmental MEC Meshack Radebe is nine, MPL Ntombikayise Sibhida is 10 and Scopa chairman Sipho Nkosi is 11.
Former speaker and controversial Msunduzi deputy mayor Alpha Shelembe is also on the list.
The Mercury