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Axed MEC Ngubane was 'excellent'

SWORN IN: Newly appointed MEC for welfare and population development Meshack Hadebe, MEC for public worlks Lydia Johnson and MEC for agriculture and environmental affairs Mtholephi Mthimkulu. PIc.
SWORN IN: Newly appointed MEC for welfare and population development Meshack Hadebe, MEC for public worlks Lydia Johnson and MEC for agriculture and environmental affairs Mtholephi Mthimkulu. PIc.

Canaan Mdletshe

Canaan Mdletshe

Sacked IFP MEC for social welfare and population development in KwaZulu-Natal, Inkosi Nyanga Ngubane, has been showered with accolades by his successor, Meshack Hadebe of the ANC.

Ngubane and Blessed Gwala, IFP MEC for public works, were fired by Premier Sbu Ndebele on Wednesday after the souring of political relations between the IFP and the ANC.

Ndebele also axed his agriculture and environmental affairs MEC Gabriel Ndabandaba, formerly of the IFP, now the ANC.

ANC MPL Lydia Johnson replaces Gwala and Mtholephi Mthimkulu replaces Ndabandaba .

The standoff between the two parties follows the IFP's decision to join forces with the National Democratic Convention and other opposition parties at local government level in the province.

Yesterday Hadebe said Ngubane had done "excellent groundwork and for me it would be a case of just tightening up here and there".

"You must give credit when it's due and I think Ngubane needs to be applauded for what he did," Hadebe said.

"He worked tirelessly to ensure that deserving people accessed their grants. He was excellent.

"My aim now is to rid our province and the country of those people who, through possessing fraudulent IDs, access government grants," said Hadebe.

Hadebe assured his staff that there would " be no major changes unless someone is not performing. There will be no political games played."

Regarding the sacking of its members, the IFP said that meant they were now the official opposition in the provincial cabinet.

IFP secretary-general Musa Zondi said that the arrangement between the two parties to appease their supporters in the province was over.

"We are now going to play a meaningful role."

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