The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) notes the provincial cabinet reshuffle by Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, with the appointment of former Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC and the return of Super Zuma to the position of Agriculture and Rural Development MEC.
Clearly the ANC lacks capacity when it comes to critical appointments in our province. The recycling of failed politicians also shows that it does not have solutions to the many challenges facing our province.
COGTA – which is responsible for local government and ultimately service delivery to the people – has never been in a worse state. Despite this, MEC Bongiwe Sithole Moloi – who failed dismally in her role as Agriculture MEC has been deployed to this critical role.
In its annual KZN Cabinet Review in December last year, the DA scored Sithole-Moloi an F for her performance as DARD MEC. This is as a result of her lack of vision and leadership, poor management in terms of providing assistance to emerging farmers, and an apparent indifference to rural crime, which is crippling KZN’s agricultural economy.
The appointment of her successor, Super Zuma, also raises serious questions around capability. This, after all, is an individual who was removed from his post as KZN Speaker.
Clearly he could not get the job done yet he has now been parachuted back into Agriculture – a key department that is supposed to be one of the biggest job creation departments in KZN yet continues to fail in its mandate.
As KZN’s only effective opposition, the DA will be closely monitoring the performance of both these new MECs. The people of our province should not have to put up with incompetent political appointments by the ANC. They deserve better.