Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Zanele KaMagwaza Msibi (NFP President) (cropped).jpg

| imagesize = 200px

| alt =

| caption =

| office = Deputy Minister of Science and Technology

| term_start = 6 June 2014

| term_end = 25 May 2019

| president = Jacob Zuma

| successor = Position dissolved

| minister = Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane
Naledi Pandor

| predecessor = Michael Masutha

| office1 = Leader of the National Freedom Party

| term_start1 = 25 January 2011

| term_end1 = 6 September 2021

| successor1 =

| predecessor1 = Position established

| office2 = Member of the National Assembly of South Africa

| term_start2 = 21 May 2014

| term_end2 = 20 June 2019

| successor2 =

| predecessor2 =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1962|02|01}}

| birth_place = Makhosini, Natal, South Africa

| party = National Freedom Party

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|9|6|1962|2|1|df=y}}

| death_place = Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

}}

Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi (1 February 1962 – 6 September 2021) was a South African politician who was the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of South Africa in the cabinet of Jacob Zuma. She was also President of the National Freedom Party (NFP). Prior to being elected to Parliament, she served for nineteen years as a councillor, fifteen of those years as Mayor of the Zululand District Municipality.{{cite web|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/nfp-leader-to-quit-as-zululand-mayor-1.1688293#.U7HmcfldXdU|title=NFP leader to quit as Zululand mayor|author=Independent Newspapers Online|work=Independent Online}} She was formerly chairperson of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the IFP's candidate for Premier of KwaZulu-Natal in the 2009 general election. {{Cite web|title=IFP's candidate for Premier of KwaZulu-Natal in 2009|url=https://twitter.com/sabcnews/status/1434789438127853568|access-date=6 September 2021|website=Twitter|language=en}}

On 7 May 2014, her new party successfully contested the 2014 South African general elections by receiving 288,742 (1.57%) of the national votes. This outcome placed the NFP in fifth place, winning 6 seats in the National Assembly.{{cite web|url=http://www.citypress.co.za/politics/nfp-leader-made-deputy-minister/|title=NFP leader made deputy minister - City Press|work=City Press|location=South Africa|access-date=5 June 2014|archive-date=7 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607030054/http://www.citypress.co.za/politics/nfp-leader-made-deputy-minister/|url-status=dead}}

Early life and education

Born in rural Makhosini, Magwaza-Msibi was a former school principal who held a BA degree from the University of Zululand and diplomas (in further education) from the then-University of Natal and (in local government) from the then-University of Durban-Westville.{{cite web|url=http://bow2011.mg.co.za/profile/zanele-magwaza-msibi/|title=Zanele Magwaza-Msibi|work=Mail & Guardian|access-date=1 July 2014|archive-date=2 July 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140702080939/http://bow2011.mg.co.za/profile/zanele-magwaza-msibi/|url-status=dead}}

Career

Having joined the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) as a teenager in 1975, Magwaza-Msibi grew up within the IFP. She first served as branch chairperson in 1976. Thereafter, she joined the executive committee of the Youth and the Women's Brigade 13 years later (1988). This was followed by the deputy chairperson's position of the Youth Brigade (1998-2003) and later she became the national secretary of the Women's Brigade.

Prior to this, she had occupied several senior administrative positions in the local and town councils, and played a leading role in numerous community projects. In 1995, she was the only woman on the executive board of the Nongoma Transitional Local Council. The following year (1996) she became chairperson of the Emakhosini sub-region, which comprised Ulundi and Babanango.

She was appointed the first mayor of the Zululand District Municipality in 2000 after the first local government elections in the new dispensation.{{cite web|url=http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global%5B_id%5D=36700|title=The Witness|work=witness.co.za}}

In 2005, she unsuccessfully contested the position of IFP Deputy National Chairperson, losing to Stanley Dladla. However, when the National Chairperson, Ziba Jiyane, left the party to form the National Democratic Convention, Magwaza-Msibi was put forward as a candidate and elected unopposed at the 2006 national conference. As second-in-command in the IFP, she was touted as a potential successor to party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi when he decided to step down.

=Party switch and formation of the NFP=

After the IFP's dismal results in the 2009 general elections, members of the party began debating a change in leadership for the upcoming 2011 local government elections. With party leader Buthelezi previously stating in 2005 that he would not seek re-election, the succession battle brewed down to those supporting Magwaza-Msibi (including the Youth Brigade and SADESMO), old-guard leaders supporting general secretary Musa Zondi, and those in the National Council advocating Buthelezi to remain leader to preserve unity. Relations between Magwaza-Msibi and IFP leadership soured after her supporters began openly campaigning for her, with some being expelled from the party for "sowing division" in the party.{{cite web|url=http://www.iafrica.com/sa/701019.html|title=iafrica.com IFP members break away|work=iAfrica.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/magwaza-msibi-goes-awol-1.690202#.U7HZ9fldXdU|title=Magwaza-Msibi goes AWOL|author=Independent Newspapers Online|work=Independent Online}} Magwaza-Msibi eventually left the Inkatha Freedom Party and announced the formation of the National Freedom Party on 25 January 2011 in Durban, saying she accepted her expulsion from the IFP after "more than two years of marginalisation and ostracism".{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewage.co.za/Detail.aspx?news_id%3D8738%26cat_id%3D1010 |title=Magwaza-Msibi launches National Freedom Party | the New Age Online |access-date=1 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204093045/http://www.thenewage.co.za/Detail.aspx?news_id=8738&cat_id=1010 |archive-date=4 February 2015 }} IFP leader Buthelezi, in response, described Magwaza-Msibi's actions as establishing a party based on "disgruntlement and ambition" rather than ideologies or values and that he "struggled to understand how she could inflict such damage on a party she professed to love."{{cite web|url=http://www.ifp.org.za/Newsletters/110126wn.htm|title=Mangosuthu Buthelezi's Online Letter|work=ifp.org.za}}

The first election contested by the National Freedom Party was the 2011 local government election, a few months after the party's foundation. The NFP achieved success in KwaZulu-Natal and Magwaza-Msibi became Mayor of Zululand District Municipality following a coalition deal between the NFP and the ANC to co-govern 19 hung municipalities in the province.{{cite web|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2014-06-05-nfp-leader-magwaza-msibi-appointed-to-cabinet/|title=NFP leader Magwaza-Msibi appointed to Cabinet|author=Andisiwe Makinana|work=The M&G Online|date=5 June 2014 }}

Following the National Freedom Party's success in the 2014 general election, Magwaza-Msibi decided to resign as Mayor of Zululand District Municipality in order to lead the NFP in Parliament. On 25 May 2014, President Jacob Zuma notified Magwaza-Msibi of his intention to appoint her as Deputy Minister of Science & Technology. After consulting with party leadership, she accepted but stated her intention to remain autonomous and maintain her own views. The appointment was derided by members of the DA and IFP as Magwaza-Msibi having "sold out her supporters". She was sworn in on the evening of 6 June.

The NFP was barred from participating in the 2016 municipal elections, because of the party not paying its registration fee on time.{{cite news |last1=Khoza |first1=Amanda |title=Local elections: Game over for NFP |url=https://www.news24.com/elections/news/local-elections-game-over-for-nfp-20160704 |access-date=22 March 2020 |agency=Elections'16 - News24 |date=4 July 2016}} The party's support was greatly diminished in the May 2019 elections.{{cite news |title=NFP admits defeat, but 'humbled' by continued support |url=https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/elections/2128839/nfp-admits-defeat-but-humbled-by-continued-support/ |access-date=22 March 2020 |agency=The Citizen |date=9 May 2019}} Magwaza-Msibi was not reappointed to the national cabinet and resigned from Parliament in June 2019, citing her intention to rebuild the party.{{cite news |title=NFP leader Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi resigns from parliament |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2019-06-21-nfp-leader-zanele-kamagwaza-msibi-resigns-from-parliament/ |access-date=22 March 2020 |newspaper=The Sowetan |date=21 June 2019}}

Personal life and death

She was the mother of actress Gugu Gumede.{{cite web|url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/entertainment/2017-11-24-gugu-gumede-not-just-magwaza-msibis-daughter/&grqid=PBBX9NNu&s=1&hl=en-ZA|title=Gugu Gumede not just Magwaza Msibis daughter|date=24 November 2017|access-date=12 March 2020}} She was reported to have suffered a stroke on 16 November 2014 and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.{{cite web | url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/NFP-leader-suffered-stroke-report-20141119 | title=NFP leader suffered stroke - report | publisher=News24 | access-date=19 November 2014}}

She was married to Mandla Msibi who was the first black editor for television news under the SABC. Magwaza-Msibi died from COVID-19-related cardiac arrest at a hospital in Durban, South Africa on 6 September 2021, at the age of 59.[https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/national-freedom-party-leader-zanele-kamagwaza-msibi-dies-20210906 National Freedom Party leader Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi dies][https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/shock-and-sadness-as-nfp-leader-zanele-kamagwaza-msibi-dies-of-cardiac-arrest-linked-to-covid-19-5743ef84-d42b-4616-b058-5027494eeffa Shock and sadness as NFP leader Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi dies of cardiac arrest linked to Covid-19]