Durban — Having grown up as the last-born in a family of 18 children who had little prospect of success, Zwakele Mncwango says that should he become the premier of KwaZulu-Natal, his government would tax big business to provide better opportunities for black children.
The former DA leader in KZN and now the provincial leader of ActionSA, Mncwango is first on the party’s provincial candidate list.
Mncwango hails from Nongoma in Zululand where his father had three wives. On Friday he launched his party provincial manifesto in his home town.
“We are going to tax big businesses by taking 5% of their profits to build schools to provide better education to children from the poor black population.
“This would lead to the end of NSFAS because this fund will have enough money to provide education for children,” he said.
Mncwango dumped the DA two years ago, citing concerns about its leader John Steenhuisen’s leadership style, which allegedly sidelined him after he had supported Mbali Ntuli’s unsuccessful campaign.
He recently made headlines when he campaigned for the eThekwini Municipality to be renamed after Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in a possible attempt to win votes from the traditional IFP stronghold.
Mncwango’s educational success was through dedication and hunger for a better life and to find employment so that he could earn a better salary to fund his siblings’ education.
“I am one of the examples of what can happen when someone has been given an opportunity.”
He said his family had to sell a cow to help him enrol at tertiary level.
Mncwango, who was the first in his family to go to university, was concerned that most families in rural areas were not as lucky as his, which at least had a cow to sell.
After he completed his electrical engineering diploma at the Durban University of Technology, everything seemed to have come on a silver platter.
“When I needed work experience, a company invited me for in-service training and since then I have never applied for a job.
“After having received full-time employment, I funded my MBA at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
With this background, Mncwango has developed a passion for better education for all.
Sunday Tribune