Durban — The political careers of former KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala and former Inkosi Bhambatha regional chairperson Lucky Moloi appeared to be back on track following their nominations to the ANC’s national executive committee.
On Thursday, ANC electoral commission chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe announced the names of the 200 people who were nominated for a position on the NEC.
Zikalala, the KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, topped the list.
Zikalala’s nomination via votes surprised many who had written him off politically after he lost the ANC chairperson position to Siboniso Duma during the provincial conference in July.
Zikalala was further humiliated when he failed to make it to the provincial executive committee. He also resigned as the premier.
Although his nomination to the NEC is not automatic, since delegates still have to vote, he has many chances to make it to the powerful 80-member committee. The NEC is the decision-making structure of the ANC between conferences.The South African president mainly picks his cabinet from the committee, which puts Zikalala in line to be a minister if the ANC wins the 2024 general election. Attempts to speak to Zikalala were unsuccessful.
Another former ANC leader whose career is likely to be resuscitated at the conference is Moloi. He lost the chairperson position in the Inkosi Bhambatha region, and many also wrote him off.
Moloi is a councillor in Nquthu Local Municipality and the husband of Agriculture MEC Bongi Moloi. It was not clear what will happen to him after the 2026 local government elections.
The region incorporates the rural towns of Greytown, Msinga, Dundee and Nquthu. Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, 4 December, Moloi said he was humbled by the nomination and ready to serve anywhere the ANC may deploy him. Moloi was in the Eastern Cape at the weekend, where he also met Abathembu king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo at his palace. He is said to pick up sizeable numbers of nominations in the province.
Others from the province who are likely to form part of the NEC are Malusi Gigaba, who was second to Zikalala with nominations. Former Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini is also expected to return to Parliament and to the cabinet after she was also nominated. She is at number 15 on the list.
At 35 on the list, former KZN premier and current Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu is also expected to return to Parliament, as is Dr Blade Nzimande, who never returned as SACP secretary-general after its conference a few months ago.
Presidential hopeful and current Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and former KZN provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli are also safe at number 55 and 26 respectively.
Kwazi Mshengu and Jomo Sibiya, who were sacked as Education and Human Settlement MECs respectively, also made it on to the list.
Others also from the province are current Finance MEC Peggy Nkonyeni, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, KZN legislature member Vuyiswa Caluza, and Cyril Xaba.
Another noticeable surprise in the list was current deputy president David Mabuza at number 115, and presidential hopeful Dr Zweli Mkhize at number 89.
Daily News