Senzo Mchunu has been acting premier since Zweli Mkhize stepped down - but now he’s officially in charge of KZN.
|||Johannesburg -
Senzo Mchunu was elected premier of KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.
“Senzo Mchunu (received) 50 votes, Blessed Gwala 14 votes, (and) Sizwe Mchunu seven votes,” said Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokesman for the office of the premier of KwaZulu-Natal.
Senzo Mchunu had been acting premier since former premier Zweli Mkhize stepped down at the end of August.
Gwala was nominated by the official opposition, the Inkatha Freedom Party, while the Democratic Alliance nominated its provincial leader, Sizwe Mchunu.
Mkhize quit last month to be the ANC’s full-time treasurer general.
After the election in the legislature, the new premier is customarily sworn in and makes his inaugural speech.
Opposition parties are also entitled to nominate a candidate for premier, but the ANC has a majority in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature. - Sapa