Newly appointed eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Cyril Xaba. Picture: Se-Anne Rall / IOL
Cyril Xaba has officially been announced as Mayor of the eThekwini Municipality.
Xaba's appointment was announced at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on Wednesday.
Xaba takes over from Mxolisi Kaunda who was removed as mayor on June 12 and redeployed to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), following the African National Congress' dismal performance at the polls in the May 29 elections.
The former Member of Parliament (MP) was tipped to take over the hot seat amid reports that he was going up against the likes of former South African Police Service (SAPS) Minister Bheki Cele and former KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
Background
Born in KwaZulu-Natal in 1967, the 57-year-old holds a Masters Degree in Law (LLM) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban. He also served in leadership roles in the Congress of South African Students (Cosas), Natal Students Congress, University of Natal Black Students Society, ANC Youth League, ANC Regional Executive Committee and ANC Provincial Executive Committee.
Political career timeline
KZN Legislature
1994 - Member of KZN Legislature for ANC
1994 - 1999 - ANC spokesperson for Education
1999 - 2009 - Chairperson of Public Works Portfolio Committee and ad-hoc Constitutional Affairs to draft provincial constitution for KZN
Left legislature in 2009 to become special advisor to KZN Premier
2010 - 2014 - Chairperson of KZN Provincial Planning Commission
After the 2014 elections, he was elected to return to the provincial legislature and appointed MEC for Agriculture and Development.
2016 - Removed from Executive Council
National Parliament
2019 - Elected from ANC's KZN list and elected as chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans. He was then elected as co-chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence
2022 - Elected to ANC NEC
2023 - Appointed as chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Sub-Committee of the ANC NEC.
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