KWAZULU NATAL'S NEW PREMIER: ZWELI MKHIZE

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TAGS: PGOV SF
SUBJECT: KWAZULU NATAL'S NEW PREMIER: ZWELI MKHIZE

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1. (SBU) Summary. On May 11, 2009 Zweli Mkhize was sworn in as
KwaZulu Natal's (KZN) fifth post-apartheid premier. He is a
medical doctor and has served as KZN Minister of Health and
Minister of Finance and Economic Development. Mkhize is a close
confidant of South African President Jacob Zuma. It remains to
be seen how long he will serve as premier of KZN, given that the
ANC has consolidated its power in the province and that Mkhize
has strong political and leadership skills, in addition to his
close relationship with the President. End Comment.

Overview


2. (U) Zweli Lawrence Mkhize was born just outside of
Pietermaritzburg, KZN in the rural village of Willowfountain on
February 2, 1956. He studied medicine in university and did an
internship at Durban's non-profit McCord Hospital, which was
founded in 1909 by U.S. missionary surgeon James McCord and
retains linkages to the United States. He graduated from the
University of KZN Medical School in 1982 and began practicing
medicine in 1983. In 1986, Mkhize went into political exile
but continued his medical practice in Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
He returned to South Africa in 1991 to work at a hospital in
Mpumalanga but soon returned to the Pietermaritzburg area and
established a private practice. He has three children and is
married to Dr. May Mashego.

Political Career


3. (U) From 1991 to 1994, Mkhize was a member of the ANC's
Health Secretariat which was responsible for developing the
ANC's health policy for post-apartheid South Africa. Mkhize
served as KZN Minister of Health from 1994 to 2004, during which
time he established a HIV/AIDS treatment program in KZN in
defiance of the national government's stance, and worked closely
with U.S. government partners from the President's Emergency
Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). (Note: In meetings with the CG
and visiting U.S. delegations from business and local
government, he has readily acknowledged the major contributions
that PEPFAR has made to expanding AIDS treatment availability.
End note.) He was KZN Minister of Finance and Economic
Development from 2004 to 2009 and was appointed ANC Provincial
Chairperson in 2008. Mkhize is a member of the ANC National
Executive Committee and the chairperson of the ANC's National
Education and Health subcommittee. He co-founded the Regional
Health Forum and is a member of the National Health Forum. He
also chairs the 2010 FIFA World Cup Political Oversight
Committee. In his capacity as Premier, he also serves in the
honorary position of Chancellor of the University of KwaZulu
Natal.


4. (SBU) As a leader in the province, Mkhize has played a
critical role in the promotion of peace and stability in KZN.
Former KZN Premier, Sibusiso Ndebele, was often confrontational
with opposition parties, but Mkhize worked behind the scenes as
a mediator and helped to establish a coalition government in the
province. Mkhize is also credited for stimulating economic
development and growth in KZN by developing policies to support
small, medium, and micro enterprises; supporting community-based
business initiatives; and by funding youth development programs.
In these roles, he contributed to the development of the KZN's
health and fiscal policies and engaged the private sector to
enhance KZN's investment potential.


5. (SBU) Mkhize has a history of being involved in political
violence in the Pietermaritzburg area during the 1980's and has
been investigated for his role in a number of political killings
in the province, but has never been charged.

Leadership Style


6. (SBU) Mkhize is a very down-to-earth and popular leader. His
style of leadership and management is moderate, accommodating,
inclusive, and tolerant - a contrast to outgoing Premier
Ndebele, who was often abrasive, confrontational and
standoffish. Mkhize is also known for including diverse groups
and opinions in his decision-making process. His new ten-member
provincial cabinet (Executive Council) features four female
`Ministers' or MECs (Members of the Executive Council),
including one Indian woman and one white woman. His inaugural
address on May 11, 2009 was conciliatory and positive, and the
opposition Democratic Alliance party's leader in Parliament
voiced confidence to CG that the DA could work cooperatively
with Premier Mkhize and the ANC in the province.

`Zuma's Closest Confidant'


7. (SBU) Mkhize is a long-time supporter of President Jacob Zuma

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and is considered by many analysts and the national media to be
his most trusted advisor. Court transcripts of the 2006 Zuma
rape trial revealed that Mkhize facilitated meetings between the
alleged rape victim and Zuma to try and prevent the matter from
going to court. Mkhize is also believed to be the leader of the
faction that opposed Premier Ndebele and President Mbeki in KZN
during the last ANC Polokwane National Conference that resulted
in the election of Zuma as the ANC president. Mkhize was a
strong supporter of Zuma's presidential campaign and worked to
win KZN for the ANC.

Mkhize's Challenges as Premier


8. (SBU) Mkhize faces the challenge of meeting voters' high
expectations. KZN citizens will expect the delivery of public
services to be improved and fast-tracked, especially in rural
areas. Mkhize's administration is likely to focus on service
delivery and economic growth. It also remains to be seen if KZN
will be rewarded with more resources for economic development
and service delivery for helping the ANC win the national
election. If Mkhize is indeed Zuma's closest confidant, and if
Zuma sticks to his promise of rural development, KZN may reap
great development rewards. Mkhize must also work to maintain
ANC unity in the province as cracks are beginning to emerge in
the tripartite alliance. Congress of South Africa Trade Unions
(COSATU) and South Africa Communist Party (SACP),who continue
to wield great power in the province, are not happy with some of
Mkhize's cabinet appointments. SACP supporters are upset about
the removal of Peggy Nkonyeni who served as Minister of Health
and had wanted the removal of Bheki Cele, Minister of Transport,
Community Safety and Liaison, and Meshack Radebe, Minister of
Social Development.

Maintaining the Zulu Vote


9. (SBU) Mkhize's success as a premier may prove critical to
maintaining ANC support in KZN especially if Zuma does not run
for a second term. Although the ANC lost support in eight
provinces in the recent election, KZN gains offset these losses.
The increase of support in KZN contributed nearly a fifth or
two million votes to the ANC's national results. Were it not
for the ANC's impressive performance in KZN, the ruling party's
majority could have been reduced to below 60 percent. If the
ANC continues its inroads into KZN, it could reap a further
780,000 votes from KZN in 2014.

Comment


10. (SBU) It remains to be seen how long Mkhize will stay on as
Premier of KZN. He has been marked for national service and was
nominated to be Deputy Minister of Finance under President
Motlanthe. This idea was fiercely opposed by ANC KZN leaders,
who needed Mkhize's leadership to deliver the province to the
ANC in the 2009 election. We expect that now that KZN is firmly
in the hands of the ANC, Mkhize will likely serve as KZN premier
for two or so years, after which he will move on to become the
national Minister of Health or Finance.
DERDERIAN