The Executive Council of KwaZulu-Natal is the cabinet of the executive branch of the provincial government in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. The Members of the Executive Council (MECs) are appointed from among the members of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, an office held since May 2024 by Thami Ntuli of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

Mkhize premiership: 2009–2013 After his election in the 2009 general election, Premier Zweli Mkhize announced his new Executive Council on 11 May 2009. Weeks afterwards, Bheki Cele resigned as MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, in order to become National Police Commissioner. On 29 July, Mkhize announced that Cele would be replaced by Willies Mchunu, and that Nomusa Dube-Ncube would in turn take over Mchunu's portfolio, Local Government and Traditional Affairs. In November 2011, Mkhize announced a reshuffle of his cabinet which affected four portfolios. +KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council 2009–2013PostMemberTermPartyPremier of KwaZulu-NatalZweli Mkhize20092013ANCMEC for FinanceIna Cronje20092013ANCMEC for HealthSibongiseni Dhlomo20092013ANCMEC for EducationSenzo Mchunu20092013ANCMEC for Economic Development and TourismMike Mabuyakhulu20092013ANCMEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural DevelopmentMeshack Radebe20112013ANCLydia Johnson20092011ANCMEC for Human Settlement and Public WorksRavi Pillay20112013ANCMaggie Govender20092011ANCMEC for Transport, Community Safety and LiaisonWillies Mchunu20092013ANCBheki Cele20092009ANCMEC for Local Government and Traditional AffairsNomusa Dube-Ncube20092013ANCWillies Mchunu20092009ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentWeziwe Thusi20112013ANCMeshack Radebe20092011ANCMEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and RecreationNtombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha20112013ANCWeziwe Thusi20092011ANC

Senzo Mchunu premiership: 2013–2016 When Senzo Mchunu succeeded Zweli Mkhize as Premier in September 2013, he retained Mkhize's Executive Council but appointed Peggy Nkonyeni to replace himself as MEC for Education. Following the next general election in May 2014, in which Mchunu was elected to a full term as Premier, he again largely preserved the composition of the Executive Council; he made only two new appointments, replacing the MEC for Finance and MEC for Agriculture. He also effected a minor restructuring of the Executive Council, transferring environmental affairs from the Agriculture and Rural Development portfolio to the Economic Development and Tourism portfolio.

+KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council 2013–2016PostMemberTermPartyPremier of KwaZulu-NatalSenzo Mchunu20132016ANCMEC for FinanceBelinda Scott20142016ANCIna Cronje20132014ANCMEC for HealthSibongiseni Dhlomo20132016ANCMEC for EducationPeggy Nkonyeni20132016ANCMEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsMike Mabuyakhulu20142016ANCMEC for Economic Development and Environmental AffairsMike Mabuyakhulu20132014ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCyril Xaba20142016ANCMEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural DevelopmentMeshack Radebe20132014ANCMEC for Human Settlement and Public WorksRavi Pillay20132016ANCMEC for Transport, Community Safety and LiaisonWillies Mchunu20132016ANCMEC for Cooperative and Traditional AffairsNomusa Dube-Ncube20132016ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentWeziwe Thusi20132016ANCMEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and RecreationNtombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha20132016ANC

Willies Mchunu premiership: 2016–2019 Willies Mchunu replaced Senzo Mchunu as Premier in May 2016 and the following month he announced a reshuffle of the Executive Council, in which he fired four MECs and appointed Mxolisi Kaunda to take over his own former portfolio as MEC for Transport and Community Safety. Senzo Mchunu's supporters described the reshuffle as a purge of politicians who had supported Senzo Mchunu's failed bid to gain re-election as Provincial Chairperson of the governing ANC. +KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council 2016–2019PostMemberTermPartyPremier of KwaZulu-NatalWillies Mchunu20162019ANCMEC for FinanceBelinda Scott20162019ANCMEC for HealthSibongiseni Dhlomo20162019ANCMEC for EducationMthandeni Dlungwana20162019ANCPeggy Nkonyeni20162016ANCMEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsSihle Zikalala20162019ANCMike Mabuyakhulu20162016ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentThemba Mthembu20162019ANCCyril Xaba20162016ANCMEC for Human Settlement and Public WorksRavi Pillay20162019ANCMEC for Transport, Community Safety and LiaisonMxolisi Kaunda20162019ANCMEC for Cooperative and Traditional AffairsNomusa Dube-Ncube20162019ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentWeziwe Thusi20162019ANCMEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and RecreationBongi Sithole-Moloi20162019ANCNtombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha20162016ANC

Zikalala premiership: 2019–2022 Pursuant to the May 2019 general election, Sihle Zikalala was elected Premier and announced his new Executive Council. On 11 September 2019, he appointed Bheki Ntuli as MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison; Ntuli succeeded Mxolisi Kaunda, who had left the provincial government to become Mayor of eThekwini. On 17 November 2020, Zikalala announced that Nomusa Dube-Ncube, formerly the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, had swopped portfolios with Ravi Pillay, formerly the MEC for Finance. In January 2021, Ntuli died; he was replaced in March by Peggy Nkonyeni, formerly the MEC for Public Works and Human Settlement, who in turn was replaced by Jomo Sibiya. +KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council 2019–2022PostMemberTermPartyPremier of KwaZulu-NatalSihle Zikalala20192022ANCMEC for FinanceNomusa Dube-Ncube20202022ANCRavi Pillay20192020ANCMEC for HealthNomagugu Simelane-Zulu20192022ANCMEC for EducationKwazi Mshengu20192022ANCMEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsRavi Pillay20202022ANCNomusa Dube-Ncube20192020ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentBongi Sithole-Moloi20192022ANCMEC for Public Works and Human SettlementJomo Sibiya20212022ANCPeggy Nkonyeni20192021ANCMEC for Transport, Community Safety and LiaisonPeggy Nkonyeni20212022ANCBheki Ntuli20192021ANCMxolisi Kaunda20192019ANCMEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsSipho Hlomuka20192022ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentNonhlanhla Khoza20192022ANCMEC for Arts and Culture, Sports and RecreationHlengiwe Mavimbela20192022ANC

Dube-Ncube premiership: 2022–2024 On 10 August 2022, Nomusa Dube-Ncube was elected Premier following Sihle Zikalala's resignation from the office; she announced her new Executive Council the following day, making several significant changes from Zikalala's cabinet. In late January 2023, the ANC announced that Zikalala would resign from his position as MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in order to join the National Assembly; Bongi Sithole-Moloi took over his position in the Executive Council a week later, and Sithole's former portfolio, Agriculture and Rural Development, was in turn filled by Super Zuma. The Executive Council was reshuffled once again on 23 May 2023 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Amanda Mapena. The MEC for Public Works and Human Settlement Ntuthuko Mahlaba was appointed to succeed Mapena as the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture while Sipho Nkosi joined the Executive Council and took over Mahlaba's position. +KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council 2022–2024PostMemberTermPartyPremier of KwaZulu-NatalNomusa Dube-Ncube20222024ANCMEC for FinancePeggy Nkonyeni20222024ANCMEC for HealthNomagugu Simelane-Zulu20222024ANCMEC for EducationMbali Frazer20222024ANCMEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsSiboniso Duma20222024ANCMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentSuper Zuma20222024ANCBongi Sithole-Moloi20222023ANCMEC for Public Works and Human SettlementSipho Nkosi20232024ANCNtuthuko Mahlaba20222023ANCMEC for Transport, Community Safety and LiaisonSipho Hlomuka20222024ANCMEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsBongi Sithole-Moloi20232024ANCSihle Zikalala20222023ANCMEC for Social DevelopmentNonhlanhla Khoza20222024ANCMEC for Sports, Arts and CultureNtuthuko Mahlaba20232024ANCAmanda Mapena20222023ANC

Ntuli premiership: 2024–present No party won a majority of seats in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature in the 2024 provincial election. The African National Congress, previously the party's governing party, collapsed to third place while the newly established uMkhonto weSizwe won a plurality of seats in the legislature. The Inkatha Freedom Party won the second-most seats in the legislature and opted to form a "Provincial Government of Unity" with the ANC, the Democratic Alliance, and the National Freedom Party. The IFP's Thami Ntuli was elected Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, while the ANC and the DA received the Speaker and Deputy Speaker position in the legislature. On 18 June 2024, Ntuli announced his Executive Council comprising four IFP members, three ANC members, two DA members and one NFP member. +KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council 2024PostMemberTermPartyPremier of KwaZulu-NatalThami Ntuli2024IncumbentIFPMEC for FinanceFrancois Rodgers2024IncumbentDAMEC for HealthNomagugu Simelane2024IncumbentANCMEC for EducationSipho Hlomuka2024IncumbentANCMEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental AffairsMusa Zondi2024IncumbentIFPMEC for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentThembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa2024IncumbentIFPMEC for Transport and Human SettlementsSiboniso Duma2024IncumbentANCMEC for Social DevelopmentMbali Shinga2024IncumbentNFPMEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional AffairsThulasizwe Buthelezi2024IncumbentIFPMEC for Public Works and InfrastructureMartin Meyer2024IncumbentDAMEC for Sports, Arts and CultureMntomuhle Khawula2024IncumbentIFP

See also

Template: KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council Government of South Africa Constitution of South Africa Natal province KwaZulu homeland

References