Ntuthuko Mahlaba
{{Short description|South African politician and healthcare practitioner}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Ntuthuko Mahlaba
| honorific-suffix = MPL
| image =
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| caption =
| office = Member of the Executive Council of KwaZulu-Natal for Sports, Arts and Culture
| premier = Nomusa Dube-Ncube
| term_start = 23 May 2023
| term_end = 14 June 2024
| predecessor = Amanda Bani-Mapena
| successor = Mntomuhle Khawula
| office1 = Member of the Executive Council of KwaZulu-Natal for Human Settlements and Public Works
| premier1 = Nomusa Dube-Ncube
| term_start1 = 11 August 2022
| term_end1 = 23 May 2023
| predecessor1 = Jomo Sibiya
| successor1 = Sipho Nkosi
| office2 = Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
| term_start2 = 10 August 2022
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| office3 = Executive Mayor of the Newcastle Local Municipality
| term_start3 = 1 March 2019
| term_end3 = 31 October 2021
| predecessor3 = Makhosini Nkosi
| successor3 = Xolani Dube
| birthname =
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date |40|2021|November|21}}
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| nationality =
| party = African National Congress
| otherparty =
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| occupation =
| profession = Healthcare practitioner, politician
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}}
Nkululeko Ntuthuko Mahlaba is a South African politician and healthcare practitioner. A member of the African National Congress, he serves as the party's provincial treasurer in KwaZulu-Natal as well as the chairperson of the party's Mbuso Kubheka Region (formerly eMalahleni). From August 2022 to May 2023, he was the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works and he then served as the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture from August 2022 until June 2024. Mahlaba previously served as the executive mayor of the Newcastle Local Municipality from 2019 to 2021.
Career and criminal charges
In May 2018, Mahlaba was elected as the chairperson of the ANC's Emalahleni region.{{Cite web |title=ANC's Emalahleni region holds elective conference {{!}} eNCA |url=https://www.enca.com/south-africa/ancs-emalahleni-region-holds-elective-conference |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=www.enca.com |language=en}} He was sworn in as an ANC councillor of the Newcastle Local Municipality in October 2018. During a special council meeting on 1 March 2019, Mahlaba was elected as the mayor of the municipality following the sudden resignation of Makhosini Nkosi.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-04 |title=New Newcastle Mayor sworn-in to office - Newcastle Municipality |url=https://newcastle.gov.za/new-newcastle-mayor-sworn-in-to-office/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |language=en-GB}} On 22 March 2019, Mahalaba was arrested after he was allegedly linked to the attempted murder of ANCYL leader, Mafika Ndamane and the murder of ex-ANC Youth League member, Wandile Ngobeni.{{Cite web |last=Trav |date=2019-03-22 |title=Newcastle mayor arrested on murder charges |url=https://newcastleadvertiser.co.za/167684/newcastle-mayor-arrested-murder-charges/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Northern Natal News |language=en-US}} In August 2019, the charges of murder and attempted murder against Mahlaba were dropped due to a lack of witnesses willing to testify.{{Cite web |title=Murder charges dropped against KZN mayor as witnesses won't testify |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-08-15-murder-charges-dropped-against-kzn-mayor-as-witnesses-wont-testify/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=TimesLIVE |language=en-ZA}}{{Cite web |last=Mavuso |first=Sihle |title=BREAKING NEWS: Murder charges withdrawn against Newcastle mayor |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/breaking-news-murder-charges-withdrawn-against-newcastle-mayor-30813483 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=www.iol.co.za |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Murder charges dropped against Newcastle Mayor Ntuthuko Mahlaba |url=https://ewn.co.za/2019/08/15/murder-charges-dropped-against-newcastle-mayor-ntuthuko-mahlaba |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=ewn.co.za |language=en}}
On 26 July 2021, Mahlaba appeared in the Newcastle Magistrate's Court on charges of robbery, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, theft and incitement of violence and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm over an incident in September 2020 where Mahlaba, Njabulo Mabaso, Sgananda Shezi assaulted employees of a fibre subcontractor in the Aviary Hill area in Newcastle.{{Cite web |title=Newcastle mayor appears in court facing an array of criminal charges |url=https://ridgetimes.co.za/lnn/1156071/newcastle-mayor-appears-in-court-facing-an-array-of-criminal-charges/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Ridge Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Newcastle mayor 'not arrested' in assault case, says he won't step down |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2021-07-27-newcastle-mayor-not-arrested-in-assault-case-says-he-wont-step-down/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=TimesLIVE |language=en-ZA}} In August, the provincial ANC leadership removed Mahlaba as a councillor candidate ahead of the local government elections due to the charges.{{Cite web |last=Ndou |first=Clive |date=2021-08-24 |title=ANC finally acts against Newcastle mayor |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/news/kzn/anc-finally-acts-against-newcastle-mayor-20210824/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Witness |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Khumalo |first=Juniour |title=KwaZulu-Natal ANC local govt candidates removed from list for facing criminal charges |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/kwazulu-natal-anc-local-govt-candidates-removed-from-list-for-facing-criminal-charges-20210823 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} Mahlaba was re-elected unopposed as the regional chairperson of the ANC in eMalahleni on 7 September 2021.{{Cite web |last=Nxumalo |first=Sakhiseni |title=Newcastle mayor Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba re-elected as eMalahleni regional chairperson |url=https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/newcastle-mayor-dr-ntuthuko-mahlaba-re-elected-as-emalahleni-regional-chairperson-77c984ec-d886-4393-a5ad-77118dfcad24 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=www.iol.co.za |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Capa |first=Siyamtanda |date=2021-09-06 |title=ANC’s Mahlaba elected unopposed in Newcastle |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/news/kzn/ancs-mahlaba-elected-unopposed-in-newcastle-20210906/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Witness |language=en}} Mahlaba left office as mayor of Newcastle on 31 October 2021. He was found guilty by the Newcastle Regional Court for incitement to commit assault on 22 November 2021 and was fined R20,000.{{Cite web |last=McCain |first=Nicole |title=KwaZulu-Natal mayor fined R20 000 for inciting violence that led to assault |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/kwazulu-natal-mayor-fined-r20-000-for-inciting-violence-that-led-to-assault-20211124 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}
In June 2022, Mahlaba announced his intention to contest a leadership position at the ANC's provincial elective conference in July 2022.{{Cite web |last=Makhaye |first=Chris |date=2022-06-08 |title=ROAD TO ELECTIVE CONFERENCE: Former Newcastle mayor Ntuthuko Mahlaba throws hat in ring for ANC KZN party leader |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-06-08-former-newcastle-mayor-ntuthuko-mahlaba-throws-hat-in-ring-for-anc-kzn-party-leader/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}} He was on ANC MPL Siboniso Duma's "Taliban" slate, a group of candidates sympathetic to former party president Jacob Zuma.{{Cite web |title=Meet the ANC KZN faction that calls itself the Taliban |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/politics/2022-07-24-meet-the-anc-kzn-faction-that-calls-itself-the-taliban/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=TimesLIVE |language=en-ZA}} At the ANC's conference on 23 July 2022, Mahlaba defeated the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Jomo Sibiya to become the next provincial treasurer of the ANC as candidates linked to the "Taliban" faction made a clean sweep of all the provincial leadership positions.{{Cite web |last=Khumalo |first=Juniour |title=Clean sweep for ANC faction sympathetic to Zuma in KwaZulu-Natal |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/politics/clean-sweep-for-anc-grouping-sympathetic-to-zuma-in-kwazulu-natal-20220724 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}
Provincial government
Following Mahlaba's appointment to the provincial legislature, sources said that Mahlaba would be appointed to the provincial executive council as the MEC for Health, since Mahlaba is a medical doctor.{{Cite web |last=Chetty |first=Kuben |title=KwaZulu-Natal cabinet reshuffle on the cards |url=https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/kwazulu-natal-cabinet-reshuffle-on-the-cards-37124b8c-61ea-4751-a236-03fddb5345fe |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=www.iol.co.za |language=en}} The defeated provincial chairperson, Sihle Zikalala resigned as premier of KwaZulu-Natal on 5 August 2022. Before Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube's election and inauguration as premier, Mahlaba was sworn in as a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on 10 August.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-10 |title=Premier nominee Nomusa Dube-Ncube arrives in Mooi River ahead of being sworn-in |url=https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/premier-nomusa-dube-ncube-arrives-in-mooi-river-ahead-of-being-sworn-in/ |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader. |language=en-US}} The following day, Mahlaba was appointed as the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works by Dube-Ncube.{{Cite web |last=Rall |first=Se-Anne |title=KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube announces 6 new MECs in cabinet shuffle |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/kzn-premier-nomusa-dube-ncube-announces-6-new-mecs-in-cabinet-shuffle-573ce954-9572-40a0-9654-e004846c9c2c |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=www.iol.co.za |language=en}}
During a mini reshuffle of the KwaZulu-Natal executive council on 23 May 2023, he was appointed as MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture. He replaced Amanda Bani-Mapena who resigned in early-April 2023, while Sipho Nkosi took over as MEC for Public Works and Human Settlements.{{Cite web |last=Maliti |first=Soyiso |title=Mini shuffle for KZN Cabinet as two new MECs announced |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/government/mini-shuffle-for-kzn-cabinet-as-two-new-mecs-announced-20230523 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} He was re-elected to the provincial legislature in the 2024 provincial election but was not reappointed to the Executive Council.{{Cite web |last=Ludidi |first=Velani |date=2024-06-18 |title=New KZN Premier Thami Ntuli announces cabinet |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-06-18-new-kzn-premier-thami-ntuli-announces-cabinet-during-inauguration-address/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|nkululeko-ntuthukho-mahlaba|Dr Nkululeko Ntuthukho Mahlaba}}
{{KwaZulu-Natal MPLs|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahlaba, Ntuthuko}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Mayors of places in South Africa