The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) congratulates Honourable Themba Mthembu on his appointment as Deputy Speaker of the provincial Legislature.
The move comes after the tragic and untimely passing of former Deputy Speaker, Mluleki Ndobe, earlier this month.
The DA believes that as Deputy Speaker Mthembu will complement current Speaker, Nontembeko Boyce and that, given his former role as Chair of Chairs in the Legislature, he comes well equipped to take on the challenges of his new role. We also take this opportunity to congratulate Siboniso Duma on his election as the new Chair of Chairs.
We are however concerned by the delays around the Deputy Speaker’s appointment, which point to indecisiveness within the ANC as a result of political factionalism. The situation is not an isolated incident with the critical CoGTA portfolio also being without a Chairperson since July.
The current divisions within the ANC do not bode well for the future of our province and it is clear that Premier Sihle Zikalala needs to get his house in order.
The DA remains committed to working with the newly appointed Deputy Speaker Mthembu in the spirit of good governance and in the interests of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.