The National Freedom Party’s (NFP) sole MPL in the provincial legislature, Mbali Shinga, has been named as the interim MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal.

Shinga, who is currently embroiled in a disciplinary dispute with her party for backing the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) despite a directive to vote against it, will hold the fort in the brief absence of Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi (formerly Simelane-Zulu).

Her acting stint was announced by Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli in an internal memo dated 13 January 2026.

“In terms of section 138 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, I hereby appoint Ms C M Shinga, Member of the Executive Council for Social Development, as Acting Member of the Executive Council for Health, with effect from 17 January 2026 up to and including 25 January 2026, and assign to the said Ms C M Shinga generally the powers and functions of the Member of the Executive Council for Health,” reads the memo seen by the African Times.

Shinga is also the MEC for Social Development in the province, a position she was appointed to in June 2024, when the GPU was formed by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Meanwhile, the leadership of the NFP has written to its national chairperson, Sibusiso Mkhabela, and asked him to explain why he should not be suspended from his influential position for convening an “unauthorized” press conference in Durban on Wednesday this week

Mkhabela, who is also the mayor of eDumbe Municipality, and the former mayor of Nongoma Municipality, Clifford Mshangane Ndabandaba, former NFP Secretary-General, Teddy Thwala, are seen to be sympathetic to Shinga and her cause.