South Africa: The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Nomusa Dube-Ncube rejects the claim made by Mr Sizwe Cele on her response to a SANCO invitation as a fantasy without basis.
On 27 January, the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, was invited to a SANCO event in her capacity as the Premier of the province.
The occasion of the South African National Civic Organisations was held at the Coastlands Conference Centre in Durban. The Premier addressed the gathering as a guest as per the invitation of SANCO.
The invitation prescribed the topic for the Premier to speak on, and indeed, the address of the Premier focused largely on government programmes and the role of SANCO in the post-apartheid community development project, in particular, the need for governments to work closely with community-based formations.
We note with regret the statement casting aspersions on the Premier’s attendance at this event. The Premier is invited on a regular basis by organisations and makes every effort, where possible, to honour such invitations. It is not the Premier’s mission to be involved in dirty and petty politics.
If we are invited as Government to any Civil society engagements, we will honour that with humility. The insults that are being said by Mr Sizwe Cele in the statement are unfortunate and aim at questioning the Premier’s credentials.
The Office of the Premier and Government in general never ask what faction is inviting us as we work with civil society formations.
The information at the Premier’s disposal was that this was a SANCO conference.
Let us be reminded that the Premier’s attendance was in her capacity as the Head of Government in KwaZulu-Natal and forms part of ongoing engagements with a society that come with the mandate of her office and, indeed, the entire Government.
Stakeholder relations is one of the key functions of the Office of the Premier, and in her position, the Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube is dutybound to meet and engage all parties, including those that may have grievances or may be in conflict, and does so without any prejudice.
The Premier is the Head of Government of the whole province and the Premier for everyone. In discharging her responsibilities, the Premier finds it impossible to cherry-pick for whatever reason.