KZN ANC chief whip dies

The ANC’s Chief Whip in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, Langalakhe Nicolus "Senzo" Mkhize, has died after a long battle with an undisclosed illness.

Mkhize (45) who also acted as ANC provincial spokesperson until he became too ill to do the job suffered a stroke last year. He died in a Durban hospital, according to ANC caucus spokesperson Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.

Mkhize joined the ANC caucus in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature in 2012 after being redeployed from the National Assembly. He served as chairperson of the sports and recreation portfolio committee and was appointed as party deputy chief whip in 2012.

In 2014 he was appointed as chief whip and served on committees including community safety, transport, agriculture and rules and chaired the whips forum.

Born in Inanda, Durban, Mkhize had served as deputy chairperson of the ANCYL in the province, before being deployed to the National Assembly. 

Colleague and ANC MPL Mxolisi Kaunda said Mkhize had become involved in the UDF structures in the Inanda area through the Inanda Youth Organisation, an affiliation of the South African Youth Congress (Sayco).

When the ANC was unbanned Mkhize became a leader of the ANCYL and later the ANC in then north Durban region. 

Mkhize was elected to the provincial executive committee of the ANC, on which he was still serving at the time of his death.

In 2009 Mkhize was sent to the National Assembly, where he served until his deployment back to the province.

"He has served the ANC with diligence, even at the time when it wasn’t fashionable to be a leader of the ANC," said Kaunda.

"He was a thinker. The man was a brave man. He’s been a person who is possessing important skills in the ANC, a person who also got involved when things had to happen. Not too much talking, just action," he said.

"After he fell ill he recovered and came back to work. We had hoped. Then he fell ill again," Kaunda lamented.

Simelane Zulu said they were saddened by Mkhize’s death. His deputy, Nontembeko Boyce, said Mkhize’s life had been “a series of triumphs against adversity”.

"He did his job diligently and with aplomb. Despite the challenges of enormous responsibility given to him, he remained humble and never showed any signs of frustration as he performed his duties as chief whip," Boyce said.

Mkhize, who is survived by his wife Nelly, was credited with good working relations between the parties in the provincial legislature.