The National Freedom Party has resolved to withdraw from the KwaZulu-Natal government of provincial unity and has recalled its representative in the legislature,Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga.
Cynthia Mbali Shinga/Facebook
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal plans to hold bilateral talks with the NFP following the NFP’s decision to withdraw from the government of provincial unity.The NFP instructed MEC Mbali Shinga to resign by 8 January 2026 after defying party directives in a no-confidence vote.Despite the NFP’s withdrawal,the ANC,IFP,and DA coalition retains 40 seats.The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says it plans to have a bilateral meeting with the National Freedom Party (NFP) to discuss the implications of the NFP’s decision to withdraw from the government of provincial unity (GPU).
“The ANC respects the fact that the NFP has a right to make decisions about its allegiances. However,the ANC will seek bilateral engagement with the NFP to discuss the party’s latest alleged stance. In these engagements with the NFP,the ANC would want to engage the NFP particularly on the wider implications of its alleged decision,beyond the GPU,” said the coordinator of the ANC in KZN,Mike Mabuyakhulu.
Mabuyakhulu’s comments follow reports that the NFP resolved to exit the coalition after its chairperson in the province,Mbali Shinga,defied party directives during a December vote of no confidence in Premier Thami Ntuli.
Shinga,who also serves as the Social Development MEC,voted against the party line,sparking internal conflict.
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In December,News24 reported that Shinga faced disciplinary action after voting against the MK Party (MKP) and EFF,who sought to remove Ntuli as premier.
Later,the NFP informed the speaker of the provincial legislature,Nontembeko Boyce,of its decision to withdraw Shinga as its representative. But Boyce declined to remove Shinga,citing no wrongdoing on her part.
READ | KZN speaker rejects NFP’s bid to oust MEC Shinga over no-confidence vote chaos
The NFP holds one seat in the 80-member legislature,whereas the MKP has 37 seats,the IFP 15,the ANC 14,the DA 11,and the EFF 2.
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Ntuli was appointed premier through a coalition between the IFP,ANC,DA,and NFP after the 2024 general elections.
In a letter dated 6 January,according to EWN,NFP secretary-general Sunset Bheki Xaba confirmed the party’s decision to withdraw from the GPU.
The letter also instructed Shinga to resign as MEC and as the NFP’s sole representative in the legislature by 8 January 2026.
Xaba said the decision was binding on all structures,deployees,and office bearers of the NFP.
READ | NFP’s Mbali Shinga slams party’s overreach in KZN legislature row
“In consequence of this resolution,and mindful that your deployment as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Social Development in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government arose directly from the party’s participation in the GPU,the NEC has determined that such deployment can no longer be sustained.
“Accordingly,you are hereby instructed to tender your resignation from the position of MEC for Social Development in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government by 8 January 2026 on Thursday at 9h00 in the morning.”
EWN further reported that Shinga was appearing before the party’s disciplinary committee on Thursday,following her decision to defy the party in December. The party is expected to brief the media on Friday.
WATCH: Members of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party are demanding a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence in KwaZulu-Natal Premier,Thami Ntuli. @News24 pic.twitter.com/ApvsEaBv2R
— Amanda Khoza - The Journalist (@MandaKhoza) December 15,2025
In a statement,Mabuyakhulu said the NFP voluntarily joined the GPU following engagements with other GPU partners and that it therefore “behoves the NFP to take the GPU partners into confidence regarding its latest decision”.
However,he added:
The ANC would,however,like to dispel the false notion that the NFP’s alleged departure automatically collapses the GPU.
He said in terms of Section 141 (2) of the Constitution,there was a provision that stated: “If a provincial legislature,by a vote supported by a majority of its members,passes a motion of no confidence in the premier,the premier and the other members of the executive council must resign”.
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He further explained that for a motion of no confidence to succeed,the majority of the members of the provincial legislature (41 or more) must support a vote of no confidence on the premier and,by extension,the provincial executive.
“With the alleged withdrawal of the NFP from the GPU and the call for the resignation of MEC Shinga,the leading coalition of the ANC,the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) would stand at 40 members,meaning that the other parties would not enjoy the required majority 41 or more of its members to collapse the provincial government. Therefore,the GPU remains in place and committed to serving the people of KwaZulu-Natal,” Mabuyakhulu said.
DA leader in the province,Francois Rodgers,also noted the NFP’s decision.
He said:
Obviously,this is a choice that each political party can make. However,what we do question is the motive behind it,because from our perspective as a partner in the GPU,we found Mbali Shinga,MEC of Social Development,to be one of the better performing MECs in the government of provincial unity,so if this is all about service delivery,then it’s questionable.
Rodgers said the DA would continue to engage with like-minded political parties,including the NFP,to ensure the GPU would remain stable.
The premier told the SABC that he had not received any official communication from the NFP or Shinga regarding the decision. He maintained that Shinga had done well in her role.
“She is doing quite well. I am happy with her work as the MEC.”
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa told Newzroom Afrika on Wednesday evening that the withdrawal would not affect governance in the province.
“The withdrawal of the NFP from the GPU does not bring any change because the status quo will remain not below 50%. If you create a deadlock as a political party,you are not interested in progress. That is what I can say to the leadership of the NFP. They need to think carefully about the people of KwaZulu-Natal because their actions will not bring change,” said Hlabisa.
However,political analyst Bheki Mngomezulu warned that the NFP’s decision could have significant consequences for the legislature.
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“The coalition government is made up of the IFP,which has 15 seats,which has 14 seats,and the DA,which has 11 seats,which gives them 40 of the 80-member legislature. Then you had the NFP giving them the necessary one seat,which gave them the majority,which is a 50+1 threshold.
“Now that the NFP has pulled out,if it joins the MKP,which has 37 seats,and the EFF,which has 2 seats,giving them 39,it means that they are going to have 40 seats. Ideally,you’ll have a 40-40 split,which then means that whenever voting takes place,there will be a stalemate.“
Mngomezulu added that the speaker (Boyce),as a presiding officer,was not supposed to vote.
This leaves the coalition with 39 votes,while the opposition bloc,including the MKP,EFF,and NFP,has 40 votes.
“In the event that you need a simple majority,it means that the MKP will win the day because it will have 40 seats combined with the EFF and the NFP,whereas on the other hand,we’ll have 39 seats if we exclude the speaker,Nontembeko Boyce.”
This leaves Ntuli’s future hanging in the balance,said Mngomezulu.
Should the vote of no confidence against Mr Ntuli be reintroduced under the current circumstances,then it means the MKP would win the day if you only need a simple majority.
If you need a 50+1 threshold,there will be a stalemate in KZN.
“Which will be a problem,” he added.
This means that if there is no agreement on a particular issue after three occasions,Hlabisa,in his capacity as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta),will have to intervene.
“The reality is that with its one seat,the NFP has,in fact,more power than all other parties to dictate the direction that the legislature is going to take,” Mngomezulu added.
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