Pietermaritzburg - The KwaZulu-Natal Speaker's office is increasingly becoming a dumping site for failed MECs and other discredited officials, opposition parties said on Wednesday.
They were reacting to the election of Dr Meshack Radebe as the new deputy speaker of the KZN Legislature during the first sitting of the house in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.
Official leader of the opposition Sizwe Mchunu (DA) said they were concerned about Radebe's appointment.
Radebe was Agriculture and Environmental Affairs MEC in the previous term, and had also held the position of Social Development MEC.
“What we are witnessing here, is a trend whereby failed MECs from the ruling party come to the legislature to take up positions at the Speaker's office, it cannot be good for this house,” said Mchunu.
In the previous term the DA was one of the staunchest critics of Radebe, often questioning the rolling out of projects in his department.
IFP leader Blessed Gwala said Radebe's new appointment illustrated the extent of the rot within the ruling party.
“When current speaker Lydia Johnson failed she was sent here, Mtholephi Mthimkhulu also from the same department came to the speaker's office. This is clearly a dumping site for the ruling party's failed individuals,” said Gwala.
Professor Gabriel Ndabandaba was the first MEC to be demoted to the speaker's office under Sbu Ndebele's administration, Peggy Nkonyeni was also deployed to the office after problems as Health MEC and was followed by Mthimkhulu and Johnson.
Reacting to his new position Radebe said he was not bitter.
“The ANC is always right,” insisted Radebe who vowed to work hard in his new position. - Sapa