VZCZCXRO8028
RR RUEHBZ RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHDU #0051/01 1391349
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191349Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL DURBAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1450
RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0824

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DURBAN 000051 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/S, INR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SF
SUBJECT: KWAZULU NATAL'S NEW PREMIER: ZWELI MKHIZE 
 
DURBAN 00000051  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶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 
 
DURBAN 00000051  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
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