Sipho Gcabashe

Sipho Joseph Gcabashe is a South African politician and businessman who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature until 2019, when he failed to gain re-election. He was also Provincial Secretary of the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal branch from 1996 to 2005.

Sipho Gcabashe
Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature
In office
until May 2019
Provincial Secretary of the African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal
Assumed office
December 1996
Deputy
Chairperson
Preceded bySenzo Mchunu
Succeeded bySenzo Mchunu
Personal details
CitizenshipSouth African
Political partyAfrican National Congress
SpouseLungi Mnganga-Gcabashe (divorced)

ANC Provincial Secretary: 1996–2005

In December 1996, Gcabashe was elected to succeed Senzo Mchunu as ANC Provincial Secretary in KwaZulu-Natal,[1] with Bheki Cele as his deputy.[2] According to the Mail & Guardian, his election followed a directive from the ANC's national leadership – conveyed by Valli Moosa – that other contestants should withdraw from the race to allow Gcabashe to lead the party's provincial campaign ahead of the 1999 general election. That directive was apparently followed by Mchunu but ignored by Mchunu's former deputy, Sifiso Nkabinde, whom Gcabashe beat in a vote for the Provincial Secretary position.[1] At the time, Gcabashe was reportedly close with Jacob Zuma, then the ANC's Provincial Chairperson.[1]

He ultimately held the party office for three terms until May 2005, when Senzo Mchunu returned to the position.[3] He won election to his third term narrowly: at the ANC's provincial elective conference in 2002, he tied for the position with Nathi Mthethwa at 190 votes each, and when the vote was re-run he won by a margin of three votes, receiving 235 votes to Mthetha's 232.[4]

Legislative career

Gcabashe served in the national Parliament in the 1990s[1] and also served a long tenure[5][6] in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature, where he held a seat by May 2004.[7] In October 2013, he was elected as the provincial legislature's Chairperson of Committees, succeeding Lydia Johnson when Johnson in turn replaced Peggy Nkonyeni as Speaker.[6] He was elected to his last term in the provincial legislature in the 2014 general election, ranked 28th on the ANC's provincial party list.[8] He stood for re-election in the next general election in 2019, but he was ranked 59th on the ANC's party list and did not secure a seat.[8]

In addition to his legislative career, Gcabashe had a career in business. As of 2011, he was a director of Savula Investment Holdings, a shareholder in Cell C; the company was chaired by former parliamentarian Mpho Scott and counted Minister Siyabonga Cwele among its shareholders.[9] He was also a shareholder – along with Scott and opposition parliamentarian Senzo Mfayela – in Dezzo Holdings, which was controversially awarded a R2.1-billion housing contract with the provincial government in 2011.[10][11] At the same time, Gcabashe was a member of the Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal branch, gaining re-election to his seat in 2012[12] and 2015.[13]

Personal life

He was formerly married to ANC politician Lungi Mnganga-Gcabashe; they divorced in 2012 after a period of separation.[12][14]

References
  1. "Valli Moosa shows iron fist". The Mail & Guardian. 1996-12-06. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  2. "50th National Conference: Report of the Secretary General". African National Congress. 1997-12-17. Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  3. "ANC leaders re-elected in KwaZulu-Natal". The Mail & Guardian. 2005-05-16. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  4. Vapi, Xolisa (2 September 2002). "Ndebele wins ANC chair in KZN by 17 votes". IOL. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  5. Naidoo, Nalini (2010-07-25). "Day of judgment". Witness. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  6. "Election of the new Speaker of the KZN Legislature". South African Government. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  7. "ANC leaders get death threats". News24. 18 May 2004. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  8. "Sipho Joseph Gcabashe". People's Assembly. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  9. "Collaboration, conflict and Cell C". The Mail & Guardian. 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  10. "Probe into R2bn tender". Sowetan. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  11. Naidoo, Nalini (2011-07-24). "DA hands dossier to Public Protector Vulindlela housing probe". Witness. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  12. Oliphant, Nathi (20 May 2012). "KZN names its new executive committee". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 8 January 2023 – via PressReader.
  13. "Super Zuma says new ANC KZN leadership to hit the ground running". Politicsweb. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  14. Oliphant, Nathi (20 May 2012). "KZN names its new executive committee". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 8 January 2023 – via PressReader.
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