By: Samkele Maseko

The Provincial Chairperson of the ANC, Senzo Mchunu was sworn in as the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg.

Mchunu has taken the highly contested seat of premier against former MEC of Co-operate Governance and Tradition, Nomusa Dube-Ncube. The election of Mchunu has squashed the debate of him being tipped for a cabinet post.

“After an intense election campaign in which we took our good story to the people of KZN, it is now time to get to work on the implementation of our manifesto,” said Sihle Zikalala, the Provincial Secretary of the ANC.

“Mchunu is an ideal person for the job of making sure we deliver on our election promises,” he said.

Lydia Johnson was elected as the new speaker of the provincial legislature.

David Makhura was elected Premier of Gauteng and Ntombi Mekgwe as the Speaker of the House. The election of Makhura has been seen as the waning of President Jacob Zuma’s power over the Gauteng Province that was largely against his re-election in Manguang.

The former Premier of the Eastern Cape, Noxolo Kiviet has been moved to speaker of the provincial legislature whilst Phumlo Masualle takes over as the Premier. In the Free State, Ace Magashule was retained as the Premier with Sisi Mabe being elected speaker of the legislature.

In the province of Limpopo, Stan Mathabatha was retained as the premier with Mariam Ramadwa being elected as speaker. The North West saw Thandi Modise being replaced with Supra Mahumapelo as premier with Basetsana Tsebe being elected as speaker.

David Mabuza was retained as the premier of Mpumalanga and Thandi Shongwe being elected as speaker.

In the Northern, Cape Sylvia Lucas was elected premier. She is the only female premier of the ANC in this term and Helen Zille being the other in theWestern Cape for the Democratic Alliance.

The ANC has elected female Speakers in seven of the provincial legislatures that it governs. Baleka Mbete has been elected as Speaker of the National Assembly taking over from Max Sisulu. Lechesa Tsenoli will be the fifth parliament’s deputy speaker.

The Democratic Alliance has sworn in the youngest member of parliament in South African history. Yusuf Cassim at just the age of 24, replacing Mduduzi Manana as the youngest MP to be sworn in.