# Premier of KwaZulu-Natal

The premier of KwaZulu-Natal is the head of government of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The current premier of KwaZulu-Natal is Thami Ntuli, a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party. He took office on 18 June 2024.

## Functions

In terms of the Constitution of South Africa, the executive authority of each province is entrusted in the province's premier. The premier appoints an Executive Council consisting of ten members of the provincial legislature; they are called members of the Executive Council (MECs). The MECs are effectively ministers in the provincial government, and the Executive Council is effectively the premier's cabinet. MECs serve at the premier's discretion. The premier and the Executive Council are responsible for implementing provincial legislation and any national legislation allocated to the province. They set provincial policy and manage the departments of the provincial government; their actions are subject to the national constitution.
In order for an act of the provincial legislature to become law, the premier must sign it. If he believes that the act is unconstitutional, it can be referred back to the legislature for reconsideration. If the premier and the legislature cannot agree, the act must be referred to the Constitutional Court for final consideration. The premier is also ex officio a member of the National Council of Provinces, the upper house of Parliament, as one of the special delegates from his province.

## Election

Elections to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature must be held every five years, usually at the same time as the election of the National Assembly; the last such election occurred on 14 June 2024. At the first meeting of the provincial legislature after an election, the members indirectly elect the premier from amongst themselves.
The provincial legislature can force the premier to resign by a motion of no confidence. If the premiership becomes vacant (for whatever reason) the provincial legislature must choose a new premier to serve out the period until the next election. One person cannot have served more than two five-year terms as premier; however, when a premier is chosen to fill a vacancy the time until the next election does not count as a term.

## List

Inkatha Freedom Party
 African National Congress
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Monarch (Reign) |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Monarch (Reign) |
| 1 | | Frank Mdlalose (1931–2021) | 11 May 1994 | 1 March 1997 | 2 years, 294 days | Inkatha Freedom Party | N/A |
| 2 | | Ben Ngubane (1941–2021) | 1 March 1997 (acting until 19 March) | 10 February 1999 | 1 year, 346 days | Inkatha Freedom Party | N/A |
| 3 | | Lionel Mtshali (1935–2015) | 10 February 1999 | 23 April 2004 | 5 years, 73 days | Inkatha Freedom Party | N/A |
| 4 | | S'bu Ndebele (born 1948) | 23 April 2004 | 6 May 2009 | 5 years, 13 days | African National Congress | Goodwill Zwelithini (2005–2021) |
| 5 | | Zweli Mkhize (born 1956) | 6 May 2009 | 22 August 2013 | 4 years, 108 days | African National Congress | Goodwill Zwelithini (2005–2021) |
| 6 | | Senzo Mchunu (born 1958) | 22 August 2013 | 24 May 2016 | 2 years, 276 days | African National Congress | Goodwill Zwelithini (2005–2021) |
| 7 | | Willies Mchunu (born 1948) | 24 May 2016 | 27 May 2019 | 3 years, 3 days | African National Congress | Goodwill Zwelithini (2005–2021) |
| 8 | | Sihle Zikalala (born 1973) | 27 May 2019 | 5 August 2022 | 3 years, 70 days | African National Congress | Goodwill Zwelithini (2005–2021) |
| 9 | | Nomusa Dube-Ncube | 10 August 2022 | 18 June 2024 | 2 years, 136 days | African National Congress | Misuzulu (2021-Present) |
| 10 | | Thami Ntuli (born 1973) | 18 June 2024 | incumbent | 189 days | Inkatha Freedom Party | Misuzulu (2021-Present) |