DURBAN - SENZO Mchunu, the man who once vowed to rather “go hungry” than accept deployment to the National Assembly, is about to become a cabinet minister.
Speculation is rife that he'll be part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s revamped cabinet.
While Ramaphosa has played his cards close to his chest about a much-talked-about reshuffle, it has been rumoured that he wanted to place some of his allies in the cabinet he inherited from Jacob Zuma this month.
But first Ramaphosa would have to deal with the vacant deputy president post, which many believed would be announced before the end of the week.
The names of Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu and ANC deputy president David “DD” Mabuza are being bandied about as strong possible candidates.
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo said Ramaphosa must axe Zuma supporters.
“I don’t know what Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini is doing in cabinet, except to think that she thinks she is bigger than everyone else because of her close relationship with Zuma,” Khumalo said.
He said people like Mchunu and former treasurer-general, Zweli Mkhize, would inspire confidence ahead of the Minister of Water Affairs and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane.
Mchunu, the former KZN premier and ANC chairperson, who actively campaigned for Ramaphosa ahead of the December conference, lost his bid to become the ANC’s secretary-general to Ace Magashule.
An Mchunu supporter from the ANC in the Lower South Coast area said: "It would be fair for Ramaphosa to deploy him as a cabinet minister. He is a comrade with integrity who always puts people first."
Khumalo agreed: “The only thing that can console him would be a cabinet post. And I think he is among the first people Ramaphosa would consider for a senior post.”
Mchunu declined to comment about any deployment.
In 2015, he was ousted by Sihle Zikalala as provincial chairperson and was subsequently removed as premier.
When the ANC in KZN wanted to deploy him to the National Assembly after he resigned as premier, he rejected the offer. Then, like Zuma, he wanted the ANC to provide reasons he was pressured to resign.
He regrouped with his staunch comrades, including Mike Mabuyakhulu, who was axed as MEC for Economic Development in 2016 by the now-suspended ANC KZN provincial executive committee, and got the campaign for Ramaphosa in motion.
Ramaphosa, of course, emerged triumphant.