Described as the “Game Changer” Nomusa Dube-Ncube may rewrite history if elected as the first woman to chair the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal when the elective conference sits this weekend.
She will be racing among other heavyweights, including current chairperson Sihle Zikalala, Nomagugu Simelane, Sandile Zungu, Mdumiseni Ntuli, and Bheki Mtolo.
Dube-Ncube is seen by her supporters as the “ideal leader” with the capacity to focus on the township economy, create jobs for all, and improve living standards.
So who is Nomusa Dube-Ncube? She is the provincial MEC for the KZN Treasury and the provincial treasurer of the ANC in the province. She has received endorsement from various regions in the province as one of the preferred leaders nominated to be the next head of the province.
Dube-Ncube was born and bred in KwaMashu and mentored by prominent leaders such as Harry Gwala, Dorothy Nyembe and Linda Zama.
During the Struggle for the country’s liberation, she participated in underground operations at a young age, when she was often confronted by the forces of the apartheid regime. She never succumbed to pressure but engaged in mass-based mobilisation campaigns that helped topple the apartheid government.
As part of the preparation for the transition to a democratic government, she and other leaders were sent to other countries. She was sent to the Netherlands, where she was trained in leadership and constitutional governance.
Her team was subsequently involved in the drafting of the Local Government Chapter of the country’s Constitution. Her leadership experience and advocacy for democracy could not go unnoticed.
Before the 1994 elections, Dube-Ncube worked with legal activists under the leadership of the founding president of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers and former Constitutional Court Justice Pius Langa.
Her political credentials can be traced back to when, among other portfolios, she served as a provincial ANC Treasurer for two terms and was also Chief Whip of the ANC in the legislature.
Apart from providing strategic policy direction for the KZN Treasury as its political head, Dube-Ncube is the leader of Government Business within the provincial government and is hailed by some for having presented pro-poor budget speeches and Special Adjustment Budget estimates.
Her work in the department led to media reports commending the commitment shown by her department towards the rebuilding and transformation of the economy following the outbreak of Covid-19.
After being deployed to her current department, she received support from all categories of staff, members of the executive council and members of the portfolio committee on finance.
Speaking to the Daily News, her lobbyist, Wiseman Ngobese, said she had succeeded in ensuring that state resources are not diverted for other purposes but are used to speed up socio-economic development.
Other supporters of her nomination to be ANC chair who also provided insights believe that she is radical and believes in the township and rural economy, citing that in her programme of action, she had always ensured good governance was adhered to
“The ‘Game Changer’ has shown commitment towards clean governance that is free from any form of maladministration. She has emphasised that as public representatives, including herself, they have a responsibility to live up to the mandate given to them by the South African electorate. She has said that the people of KZN want their government to deliver them from poverty and bring about a better life for all,” said Ngobese.
Previously, Dube-Ncube served as the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs from July 2009 to May 2019 and as the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs from May 2019 until November 2020. Before serving in the legislature, she was South Africa’s ambassador to the Czech Republic.
She is the current chairperson of Griffiths and Victoria Mxenge Memorial Trust. In that capacity, she has emphasised the need to draw lessons from the exemplary leadership of Victoria Mxenge.
As the battle royal in KZN draws near, this weekend’s elective conference promises to be one for the books, as the province gears up for a potential female leader in the ANC.
Thabo Makwakwa is a senior journalist at the Daily News.
Daily News