Zwakele Mncwango has accepted his party’s nomination for KwaZulu-Natal Premier and promised that ActionSA will restore good governance and appoint leaders with integrity.

Party founder and leader Herman Mashaba announced Mncwango’s candidacy in Durban, on Monday.

A former Democratic  Alliance member, Mncwango said ActionSA will implement proper vetting in government, including lifestyle audits of all politicians and municipal and government officials.

He said to Mashaba that if he is found to have committed any wrongdoing, the ActionSA leader can “take me out”.

“That’s a commitment I am making because we can’t keep shifting people around because we are friends. There’s no friends in politics, we are just colleagues, we are here to serve our country. Criminals must go out. Not in this organisation,” he stated.

He promised that ActionSA would remain transparent and effective and more accountable to the people while following the rule of law.

He also promised that commission of inquiry recommendations would be implemented under an ActionSA leadership.

Mncwango said ActionSA would not outsource services that could be done internally and questioned why the Department of Public Works outsourced the maintenance of schools.

“We will minimise the tender system. We will only go on tender for critical work that can’t be done internally,” he promised.

Mncwango has been at the forefront of fighting corruption in KZN which led to the cancellation of the province's controversial hosting of the South African Music Awards which would have seen R20-million spent on the event, which he said would impair service delivery.

Mncwango said his party would do “everything in its power” to stop the looting of public funds and stressed that his party supported the creative industry.

"This task I am given means that things need to change,” he stated.

EDUCATION

Mncwango promised the people of the province that he would close the gap between the rural and urban schools by restoring the culture of teaching and learning.

"Currently we have got a dysfunctional system where learners who go to rural schools will never receive the same education as those in urban areas. That must come to an end. Every learner must have the same education, but quality education,” he laid out.

He said his party would do away with the employment of teachers according to union affiliations, and would hire educators based on their qualifications.

He also promised that ActionSA would fill vacant teaching positions, as there were many graduates who were looking for employment in the education sector.

"If we can't employ teachers, it will affect teaching and learning in the schools," he warned.

The party also aimed to address the dilapidated condition of rural schools, which Mncwango said inhibited qualified teachers from working in rural areas as some schools had no water and electricity.

ActionSA also wanted to bring back teacher training colleges in the province and wanted to “deal decisively with the collapsing food nutrition programme”.

The province was found wanting at the beginning of 2023 when many learners were unable to eat at schools owing to alleged tender corruption in the procurement for the scheme.

Discussing the KZN Department of Education’s plans to close 900 rural schools by 2028, Mncwango said his party would never allow that to happen, calling the move “an injustice to our poor communities because the reason why those schools are being closed is mainly because they can't provide education, then parents start to take their children to get quality education, then we have a low intake to such schools."

Addressing the issue of increasing rape cases in schools, Mncwango said his party would make safety for learners and teachers a priority.

HEALTH

ActionSA wants to “properly” train healthcare workers and ensure that the service of the rural healthcare facilities is on par with those in the cities.

The party also wants to see 24-hour clinics "because it doesn't help if our people want to access healthcare services at night. We are saying where there is the demand, we must ensure that the hours are extended".

He added that ActionSA would ensure that hospitals and clinics had enough nurses and doctors, as some facilities were short-staffed.

"This will create jobs as we have a high unemployment rate in our province but at the same time, it motivates those who are working there as they will not be stressed by the work. People are under pressure because of this shortage," explained Mncwango.

He was mindful that the changes would not happen overnight but promised that if elected, then in five years’ time, "there will be visible progress".