ULUNDI - Nkandla mayor Thamsanqa Ntuli has been elected as the IFPs KZN chairperson at the party's provincial conference held in Ulundi this weekend.
The IFP said it would not make any changes to its teams at the various spheres of government.
The elevation puts Ntuli in charge of all the structures of the party in KZN. Despite this, party spokesperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, said there was no need to change their KZN legislature team in order to give Ntuli a senior position equal to his status as the new provincial boss.
“There is no need for that redeployment as we fully believe in the team that was recently elected to office (KZN legislature)... Part of the conference resolution was that there should be a strong working relationship between the two structures (provincial leadership and the KZN legislature team),” Hlengwa told Independent Media when asked about possible changes after the elective conference.
Her added that it was not new in the party to have a chairperson who is not in the legislature of the province. The current IFP team in the legislature is led by Velenkosini Hlabisa, the party’s incoming president.
Among those elected is Simo Mfayela, the son of the late Senzo Mfayela, a former IFP national organiser and senator who was very close to outgoing party leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. He was elected as Ntuli's deputy.
Other notable political comebacks in the new leadership include Qhina Mkhwanazi, the former mayor of Mtubatuba, who was fired as mayor in 2017. Mkhwanazi was elected as the provincial treasurer and his deputy will be Mabilabila Kunene, the mayor of Nquthu.
The rest of the positions are as follows:
Secretary: Xolani Dube
Deputy Secretary: Nonkululeko Ndlela
Publicity Secretary: Sifundo Masimula
Deputy Publicity Secretary: Pat Madlopha
[STATEMENT] The IFP is pleased to announce that the following members have been elected yesterday, to serve on the Party's KZN Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) at our Provincial Elective Conference held in Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)." - @MkhulekoHlengwa pic.twitter.com/qr6E5k70wO
— Inkatha Freedom Party (@IFPinParliament) June 30, 2019