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…

One of the prominent factions within the National Freedom Party (NFP) has backed the KwaZulu-Natal Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) led by Premier Thami Ntuli of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), stating that it is doing an excellent job in fighting crime. The faction led by NFP National Chairperson and Mayor of eDumbe Municipality, Sbusiso Mkhabela, also said its sole MPL in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, Mbali Shinga, who is serving as the MEC for Social Development in the GPU, must…

Political parties within the KwaZulu-Natal Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) are jostling to meet with the National Freedom Party (NFP) in a bid to convince it to stay within the shaky coalition and keep the MK Party at bay. The African National Congress (ANC) was the first to request an urgent meeting following the NFP’s announcement last Friday that it was withdrawing from the GPU. That move threatens to collapse the coalition or leave it vulnerable to a hostile takeover.…

The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has undertaken to meet with the leadership of the National Freedom Party (NFP) to seek clarity on its decision to withdraw from the provincial unity government (GPU). This comes after the NFP announced on Wednesday that it is pulling out of the GPU, which consists of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the ANC, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and the NFP. The NFP also instructed its sole MPL, Mbali Shinga, who is also the…

The current leadership of the National Freedom Party (NFP), led by Ivan Barnes, is breathing a sigh of relief after the Pietermaritzburg High Court today ruled that it was correctly elected during the December 2023 conference in Durban. The court’s ruling comes after a group of five party members led by Mceleleni Mlangeni and Sithembile Msomi took the matter to court for final adjudication. The members sought to nullify the conference results, arguing it was marred by irregularities, including barring…

The Pietermaritzburg High Court has given five National Freedom Party (NFP) councillors a fresh lifeline after it extended the temporal court order or (rule nisi) barring their removal from Abaqulusi Local Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The matter was heard on Friday last week and later adjourned indefinitely.  The five councillors – including Khanyisile Jiyane, Sizwe Hadebe, and SIbusiso Nkosi – took the matter to court to challenge their firing by NFP President, Ivan Barnes.  They argued that their expulsion from…

A senior member of the MK Party in KwaZulu-Natal has died in a horrible car accident. Canaan Mdletshe, who hailed from Nongoma and joined the MK Party after leaving the National Freedom Party (NFP) in August this year, died in a car accident on Thursday, December 5. The accident happened between Mtubatuba and Hlabisa in northern KwaZulu-Natal yesterday where Mdletshe’s car reportedly collided with a truck. His party has confirmed his passing but gave little details. Mdletshe was part of…

The MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) in KwaZulu-Natal, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has been temporarily stopped in his spirited bid to relocate the department’s traditional affairs division to Ulundi. The opening was billed for Thursday, 5 December 2024, but it was halted after Premier Thami Ntuli intervened. Ntuli said the halting would be until the government of provincial unity involving the IFP, ANC, DA and the National Freedom Party (NFP) is satisfied that all legal processes were followed. …

The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Speaker of Nongoma Local Municipality are set to spend the next four days behind bars following their first court appearance today. Clifford Mshangane Ndabandaba of the National Freedom Party (NFP), Sabelo Nkosi from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and Babongile Sithole from the African National Congress (ANC) were arrested on Friday morning and charged with corruption. The trio appeared before the Nongoma Magistrate’s Court. However, they could not apply for bail and their matter was…

The police have officially confirmed that they have arrested three top political office bearers at the Nongoma Local Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal earlier on Friday. However, they did not reveal the charges except that the suspects will appear in court on Monday where they would be presented with the charge sheet. “The SAPS confirms that there are politicians and officials attached to the Nongoma Local Municipality that have been arrested. They are expected to appear in court on Monday morning.…