Staff Reporter.
KwaZulu-Natal transport, community safety and liaison MEC Bheki Ntuli has died after a short illness.
In a short statement, the ANC in KZN said that Ntuli – also a member of the provincial executive committee – died on Saturday.
It is believed he died of Covid-19 related complications.
ANC provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela says Ntuli worked for the ANC throughout his entire life.
“We are shocked, it was not expected, it was not something that was envisaged because I last had a conversation with him last week. He was getting better. So we assumed that he will be coming back with full force to do his responsibilities, suddenly the breaking news is something we had not expected as an organisation.”
Ntombela adds: “He was a PEC member of the ANC, previously he served as one of the longest-serving Chairpersons of the ANC in the former northern Natal region.”
He was a member of the ANC KZN’s provincial executive committee at the time of his death.
Ntuli was elevated to the provincial executive in 2019 after serving as ANC chairperson of the Musa Dladla region for 15 years.
He was appointed MEC following the redeployment of his predecessor Mxolisi Kaunda to the eThekwini municipality as mayor.
The ANC has called for space for the Ntuli family to mourn.