KZN premier Thami Ntuli faces huge battles - Hitmen, construction mafias, jobless youth

21 Jul 2024

Of all the premiers, Thami Ntuli faces the most delicate balancing act: keeping a coalition government together in a province besieged by political hits, business crime and unemployment.

KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli needs to keep his wits about him all the time. He also needs to hope that his minority government stays in power long enough for him and his 10-member provincial executive council to execute their plans to deal with the myriad growing economic, social and political challenges.

The government was cobbled together by Ntuli’s IFP, the ANC, the DA and the National Freedom Party. The coalition will be hoping that Jacob Zuma’s MK Party and the EFF don’t find partners to sneak up from behind to negotiate their toppling.

In an interview with Daily Maverick, Ntuli said he fully understands the limitations imposed by no political party winning a majority, thus requiring widespread compromises, but he has been encouraged so far by the maturity demonstrated by all the parties in his coalition government.

Ntuli's most pressing priorities include bringing social and political stability to the province so that investors can find it attractive, ending high levels of crime and creating employment, especially for restless young people.

“What we have in KZN is something new, challenging and exciting. I am certain that this government is here to stay.

“We have had two [executive council] meetings already and the level of commitment shown by all the MECs is quite high and impressive. We are all driven by the mission to make KZN better and to inspire new hope for the future of our province.”

Sorting out eThekwini Municipality

Ntuli said his government would not succeed unless it was able to sort out the mess that is eThekwini, the biggest municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

It recently tabled a 2024/25 budget of R67.2-billion, but its residents are constantly without water and must endure sewage spills in the streets. It also has thousands of ghost workers, which fuels the widespread perception that tenderpreneurs and politicians are divvying up the budget among themselves.

Ntuli said the newly elected mayor, the ANC’s Cyril Xaba, would have his and the executive council’s full support.

Read more: New KZN Premier Thami Ntuli announces coalition cabinet during inauguration address

“I also commend our MEC for cooperative government and traditional affairs, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, for taking measures to help eThekwini to deal with its issues [by appointing administrators].

“We hope that these interventions will deliver the necessary changes and ensure that the people of eThekwini receive water, services are delivered and financial stability is restored, and the right companies are appointed to render much-needed services.”

Too many weapons

Ntuli is concerned about the high levels of violent crime in KwaZulu-Natal. He said the province has a reputation for producing and harbouring hitmen.

“This phenomenon of izinkabi or hitmen has been there for years now. We are very worried. This culture has been made possible by the availability of illegal guns and other weapons throughout the province.

“There are just too many weapons buried or hidden in this province. We have to work with the police and our communities to ensure that these weapons are taken away.

“Some people use these weapons to make money by becoming hitmen. Others use them to rob and do other things. But we also have to scale up our efforts to create jobs so that young people can make a living without resorting to crime,” Ntuli said.

Mafias and business forums

Ntuli is worried about the so-called construction mafias and business forums that hold projects large and small to ransom by invading construction sites.

“My approach is that we need to sit down with members of these business forums, hear their side of the story and tell them that, as a government, we will not tolerate lawlessness,” he said.

“Our approach is that we have to talk first and see what practical solutions we can come up with before taking a hard line.

“We also have to deal with the issue of political patronage, where tenders go to people because they belong to a certain group or faction in a political party. Government tenders must be open to everyone, especially those contractors and companies which are clean and don’t rely on political patronage.

“We are also worried about the growing phenomenon where gangs are extorting protection fees from local businesses in the townships and rural areas. This must also be dealt with immediately.

“We will soon be holding a crime summit in the province where all types of crimes and criminal activities will be analysed and solutions will be sought.”

Youth empowerment

Ntuli said he and his executive met with youth organisations in June, and young people must play an active role in the economy of KwaZulu-Natal.

“In our meetings, we stressed that we want the youth to partner with us to spearhead the agenda of youth empowerment. We want all the funding institutions to help young people integrate into the economy.

“We want the economy to open up to the youth and to deal with youth unemployment, something which is critical for the stability of our province,” he said.

Violence in municipalities

Scores of councillors have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal over the years, and this has resulted in many municipalities spending millions of rands on bodyguards to protect councillors under siege.

“I was the chairperson of the South African Local Government Association in KZN and I saw this first-hand.

“The death of councillors is due to the volatility of our situation in the province. It talks to the high levels of crime, the availability of illegal weapons and the lack of viable job opportunities. It is true that many people see being a councillor as one of the lucrative jobs that insulate one against poverty, so there is big competition for these positions,” Ntuli said.

“Here, too, we have to deal with underlying factors. It is not feasible that the money that is supposed to be used to deliver services to the people is used to protect councillors by getting them bodyguards.”

What others are saying

It remains to be seen whether Ntuli and his government will manage to tackle all the challenges they are up against, but trade federation Cosatu says it hopes for the best.

Cedric Mkhize, Cosatu’s provincial secretary, said Ntuli’s government faces an uphill battle to satisfy disparate interests in his coalition. “We call this a government of provincial confusion because it doesn’t have a clear policy position.

“This is because, on the one hand, you have those who call themselves progressive forces, and on the other, neoliberals who believe that the status quo should continue, where the economy is in the hands of the few and everyone else, including the workers, should be happy with it because one slice of bread is better than nothing.”

Read more: IFP deals bitter setback for Team Sugar, MK in KZN, ANC cleans up in Eastern Cape, North West wards

The Durban Chamber of Commerce was among the organisations that wished the new government well. It said: “It is through strong relationships between the government and private sector that we will be able to address South Africa’s most pressing issues.”

However, the chamber also had a warning. “South Africa is in a crisis, which is in part self-created. Business has lost faith in the government’s ability to serve the interest of the people, and disinvestment is occurring on a regular basis.”

Zakhele Ndlovu, senior political lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said Ntuli first has to ensure that his government doesn’t collapse and then he needs to make it work for the citizens of the province.

“Violence and crime are very high and many people live in fear. Also, unemployment is unacceptably high. Investor confidence in KZN is low since the riots of 2021. It’s still very early to tell whether or not he is going to succeed,” Ndlovu added. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

Politics