KwaZulu-Natal Premier Threatens Reshuffle if MECs Accused of Misconduct are Found Guilty

• The KwaZulu-Natal Premier said he will take drastic measures if any MEC who are accused of misconduct are found guilty
• This comes after two MECs, Nomagugu Simelane and Sipho Hlomuka, are being accused of misconduct
• Premier Thami Ntuli stated that he will implement drastic steps, including reshuffling his cabinet, if he finds reliable evidence against the two MECs

The KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Thami Ntuli, said he will investigate allegations of misconduct against two MECs, Nomagugu Simelane and Sipho Hlomuka. The MECs submitted comprehensive representations to state their responses to the allegations on Friday, 1 August 2025.

What did the Premier say?

The Premier said that he will not hesitate to reshuffle his cabinet if he finds reliable evidence against the two MECs. He said that he received the presentations from the two accused MECs. He said that his office is still studying the report, and the public will be informed about it at a later stage.

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Addressing the media during the opening of two state-of-the-art schools in Newcastle, northern KwaZulu-Natal, Ntuli and his spokesperson confirmed that the reports are with the provincial government's legal unit. He said that the outcomes of the investigations will determine his actions.

Ntuli stated that he is happy the two MECs responded. He said that at the current moment, there is no reason for him to take drastic actions.

What are the MECs accused of?

Sipho Hlomuka, who is in charge of education in the province, is accused of interference in the awarding of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) tender. Nomagugu Simelane, who is in charge of health, faces accusations of abuse of power while she was the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Portfolio Committee chairperson.

It is alleged that Simelane assisted her family in securing a loan from the provincial government-owned Ithala Bank for their farming business. Both ANC leaders vehemently denied the allegation.

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MECs deny allegations

Hlomuka said during a media briefing on Wednesday, 27 July 2025, that due process had been followed when the tender was awarded. He said that the tender was advertised and bidding applications were accepted. It was reported that the tender process benefited his ANC allies. It is also alleged that a company linked to him benefited from a tender from his department.

Simelane said that the allegations against her are a smear campaign. She said the loan was received in 2008, eight years before she became portfolio committee chairperson in 2016. She was also accused of having influenced the termination of anti-illegal immigrants activist Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma by Vuma FM.

Thami Ntuli calls on community to report illegal firearms

In a previous report, Briefly News stated that the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thami Ntuli, said he was worried about the proliferation of guns on the province's streets.

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This was after eight people were killed and two were injured in a mass shooting in an informal settlement in Umlazi, Durban. South Africans called on the government to devise effective solutions to the gun problem in the province after Ntuli said community members must report illegal guns.

Source: Briefly News