Siboniso Duma

Duma grew up in Mtwalume on the South Coast of what is now KwaZulu-Natal province.{{Cite web|date=3 August 2022|title=‘I have a mandate to lead through servitude’|url=https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/post-south-africa/20220803/281569474486850|access-date=2022-12-04|website=Post|via=PressReader}} His mother was a domestic worker and his father, a construction worker in Durban, died when he was a child. He is one of four siblings. He became politically active while at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he joined the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League (ANCYL).

Duma was the deputy chairperson of the ANC's George Mbhele local branch on the Lower South Coast between 2004 and 2006.{{Cite web|date=7 July 2022|title=Duma guns for ANC provincial chair|url=https://southcoastherald.co.za/470585/duma-guns-for-anc-provincial-chair/|access-date=2022-07-26|website=South Coast Herald|language=en-US}}

In May 2010, he was elected deputy provincial secretary of the ANCYL's KwaZulu-Natal branch.{{Cite web|last=Makhaye|first=Chris|date=2022-08-07|title=Siboniso Duma’s rise to power as ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairperson|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-07-siboniso-dumas-rise-to-power-as-anc-kwazulu-natal-chairperson/|access-date=2022-12-04|website=Daily Maverick|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2010-05-24|title=KZN ANCYL to back Malema in 2011|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2010-05-24-kzn-ancyl-to-back-malema-in-2011/|access-date=2022-12-04|website=The Mail & Guardian|language=en-ZA}} Shortly after being elected, the branch's leadership announced that it would support controversial politician Julius Malema in his bid for re-election as national president of the league. However, according to the Daily Maverick, the KwaZulu-Natal ANCYL leadership fell out with the Malema-led national ANCYL leadership when the latter, but not the former, retracted its support for incumbent ANC president Jacob Zuma. In October 2011, at a meeting between the national and provincial ANCYL leaders, Duma alleged that the national leadership was "factionalist" and was targeting the KwaZulu-Natal ANCYL because of its support for Zuma.{{Cite web|date=2 October 2011|title=KZN ANCYL committee disbanded|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2011-10-02-kzn-ancyl-committee-disbanded/|access-date=2022-12-04|website=Sunday Times|language=en-ZA}}

The following week, the ANCYL national leadership announced that it had disbanded the leadership committee of the KwaZulu-Natal ANCYL, prematurely ending the terms of Duma and other officials. ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu specifically singled out Duma's "factionalist" comment as an instance in which the KwaZulu-Natal leadership had shown "disregard of organisational process and due political conduct". Shivambu also said that the national ANCYL planned to charge Duma and others for "active involvement in mobilising members... to defy and disregard the decisions" of the Malema-led national leadership.

In the 2014 general election, Duma was elected to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature as an ANC representative. He was re-elected to another term in the provincial legislature in 2019.{{Cite web |last=Ndou |first=Clive |date=2022-07-05 |title=Senior ANC MPL Siboniso Duma joins KZN race |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/news/senior-anc-mpl-siboniso-duma-joins-kzn-race/ |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=Witness |language=en}} In June 2019, he was appointed Chair of Committees ("Chair of Chairs") in the legislature.{{Cite web|title=Siboniso Armstrong Duma|url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/siboniso-armstrong-duma/|access-date=2022-12-04|website=People's Assembly|language=en}}

By 2022, Duma was a member of the Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal provincial branch. In May of that year, he emerged as a possible candidate for provincial chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal.{{Cite web|last=Mboto|first=Sibusiso|date=27 May 2022|title=As branches mull over candidates ahead of KZN conference, ANC MPL suggested for provincial chairperson|url=https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/as-branches-mull-over-candidates-ahead-of-kzn-conference-anc-mpl-suggested-for-provincial-chairperson-9962ad87-ff49-4e44-a0fa-2d15b446ff88|access-date=2022-07-26|website=IOL|language=en}} At that time, the frontrunners for the chairmanship appeared to be Nomusa Dube-Ncube and the incumbent, Sihle Zikalala.{{Cite web|date=25 July 2022|title=How new ANC KZN top five secured a clean sweep at party conference|url=https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/how-new-anc-kzn-top-five-secured-a-clean-sweep-at-party-conference-fed77f85-f643-4df2-b224-6966e85296e6|access-date=2022-12-04|website=IOL|language=en}} However, Duma was nominated for the position by the ANC's John Mchunu local branch in eThekwini and received the support of the eThekwini regional branch.{{Cite web|last=Matiwane|first=Zimasa|date=22 July 2022|title=ANC eThekwini wants Sihle Zikalala replaced|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2022-07-22-anc-ethekwini-wants-sihle-zikalala-replaced/|access-date=2022-07-26|website=Sunday Times|language=en-ZA}} He campaigned at the head of a slate of candidates who represented the so-called "Taliban" faction, which was sympathetic to former party president Jacob Zuma.{{Cite web|date=24 July 2022|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/|url-access=subscription|access-date=2022-07-26|website=Sunday Times|language=en-ZA}} Duma later explained that the name alluded to his slate's status as "underdogs" and to "the resilience of the Taliban in fighting against the United States all these years".

At the ANC's provincial conference on 23 July 2022, Duma comfortably defeated Zikalala in the election for provincial chairperson, winning 930 votes to Zikalala's 665.{{Cite web|last=Mabaso|first=Nhlanhla|date=24 July 2022|title=Siboniso Duma is the new chair of the ANC in KZN|url=https://ewn.co.za/2022/07/24/siboniso-duma-unseats-sihle-zikalala|access-date=2022-12-04|website=EWN|language=en}} Candidates linked to the Taliban faction made a clean sweep of all the provincial leadership positions contested at the conference.{{Cite web|last=Khumalo|first=Juniour|date=24 July 2022|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=2022-07-26|website=News24|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Nkosi|first=Ntombi|date=24 July 2022|title=Taliban’s defeat Ankoles, causing ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa to doubt addressing the conference|url=https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/news/talibans-defeat-ankoles-causing-anc-president-cyril-ramaphosa-to-doubt-addressing-the-conference-408e489f-0dc9-4b2b-9426-5d2e08cffa96|access-date=2022-07-26|website=IOL|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Makhaye|first=Chris|date=2022-07-24|title=ANC KZN: Jubilant ‘Taliban faction’ takes control of the troubled province after a stormy weekend|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-07-25-anc-kzn-jubilant-taliban-faction-takes-control-of-the-troubled-province-after-a-stormy-weekend/|access-date=2022-07-26|website=Daily Maverick|language=en}} Duma's election was described as a "big blow" to the re-election campaign of current party president Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of the party's 55th National Conference in December 2022.{{Cite web |last=Makhaye |first= Chris |last2=Masuabi|first2=Queenin |date=2022-07-24 |title=PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE: A blow to Ramaphosa as Zuma’s ‘Taliban’ slate sweep KZN elections |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-07-24-a-blow-to-ramaphosa-as-zumas-taliban-slate-sweep-kzn-elections/ |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}

After his election, Duma said that he did not intend to use his victory to remove Zikalala from the office of the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.{{Cite web|last=Madia|first=Tshidi|date=24 July 2022|title=Duma assures Zikalala that he won't be losing his job as premier anytime soon|url=https://ewn.co.za/2022/07/24/duma-assures-zikalala-that-he-won-t-be-losing-his-job|access-date=2022-07-26|website=EWN|language=en}} Nonetheless, on 5 August 2022, Zikalala resigned as premier and was replaced by Nomusa Dube-Ncube. On 11 August, in a cabinet reshuffle by Dube-Ncube, Duma was appointed as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-11 |title=Cabinet clean-out as Dube-Ncube takes over as KwaZulu-Natal premier |url=https://mg.co.za/politics/2022-08-11-cabinet-clean-out-as-dube-ncube-takes-over-as-kwazulu-natal-premier/ |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}

In November 2023, Duma was criticised by the African National Congress Women's League for grabbing and lifting the Webb Ellis Cup during the Springboks' celebration tour in Durban following their victory at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and accused of undermining the authority of premier Dube-Ncube.{{Cite web |last=|title=Bok cup saga prompts ANCWL tongue lashing for KZN chair Duma |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2023-11-06-bok-cup-saga-prompts-ancwl-tongue-lashing-for-kzn-chair-duma/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=TimesLIVE |language=en-ZA}}

In the 2024 provincial election, the ANC's support in the province was diminished significantly due to former ANC president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe party.{{Cite web |last=Makhaye |first=Chris |date=2024-06-03 |title=How Zuma’s MK party ruthlessly outmanoeuvred the ANC in KZN |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-06-03-how-zumas-mk-party-ruthlessly-outmanoeuvred-the-anc-in-kzn/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}} The ANC subsequently formed part of a coalition with the Inkatha Freedom Party, the Democratic Alliance and the National Freedom Party which saw Thami Ntuli of the IFP becoming premier.{{Cite web |last=Maliti |first=Soyiso |title=COALITION NATION {{!}} Provincial government of unity installs IFP premier in KZN |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/coalition-nation-provincial-government-of-unity-installs-ifp-premier-in-kzn-20240615 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} Duma was appointed MEC for Transport and Human Settlements by Ntuli.{{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}}

Duma is married and has four children. He is Christian.

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• {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|siboniso-armstrong-duma|Siboniso Armstrong Duma}}

{{KwaZulu-Natal MPLs|state=collapsed}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Zulu people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

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Category:African National Congress politicians

Category:Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature