South Coasters on `the list’

IF accepted, the ANC’s finalised list for next year’s elections, might signal the return of two prominent South Coast politicians.

About 1 000 delegates representing KwaZulu-Natal ANC branches finalised their preferred candidates’ list last weekend.

Back from the `political wilderness’ are former police commissioner, Bheki Cele and Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, former deputy health minister. Both hail from the Umzumbe area.

Cele, who was fired by President Jacob Zuma after his involvement in the police’s lease fiasco in Pretoria, is on both the Parliamentary and provincial lists.

Madlala-Routledge, resigned in 2009. Many believed it was because she had been sidelined, when the Speaker of Parliament appointment went to max Sisulu.

Although the ANC has barred municipal councillors from being nominated as candidates their names do appear on the list.

These lists of candidates for public office will have be submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission.

Interesting times ahead.

Report highlights state of Ugu health

ALARMINGLY children living in the Ugu District have the highest rate of pneumonia and tuberculosis in the province.

A report released by the Health Systems Trust, which investigated 52 district municipalities across the nine provinces, revealed that children in KZN were among the worst affected by malnutrition.

Although the pneumonia rate in the district has decreased it is still well above the national average.

Ugu statistics for diarrhoea, which is still the main cause of infant mortality, are also a concern.