National Freedom Party Suspends Chairperson Amid Deepening Internal Divisions

The National Freedom Party (NFP) has suspended its national chairperson, Msawenkosi Mkhabela, amid deepening internal divisions.

The announcement followed a chaotic disciplinary hearing for the party’s KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Mbali Shinga, held at the Edward Hotel in Durban last week. The hearing turned confrontational due to entrenched rifts within the party.

Party spokesperson and national administrator Themba Dladla confirmed Mkhabela’s immediate suspension and said other party members linked to the recent controversies would also face disciplinary processes.

“The councillors who attended the unauthorised press conference will be called to a disciplinary process,” Dladla stated.

The clash between officials flared up on the sidelines of Shinga’s disciplinary hearing. She has been charged with defying a party directive to support a vote of no confidence against Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli.

The situation escalated into a physical confrontation when uThukela chairperson Manqoba Dlamini clashed with NFP president Ivan Barnes during the proceedings, igniting tensions that have been simmering within the party for weeks.

Dlamini said the altercation erupted after Barnes addressed the group informally. Barnes responded by saying: “When you are addressing a person, you refer to them by their surname, because we are seniors and comrades.”

Barnes asserted that he would not be intimidated, describing himself as someone well acquainted with conflict due to his upbringing in a rural area.

The battle for control within the NFP has been marked by factionalism, particularly among groups aligned with the government of provincial unity. The faction that firmly backed Shinga denounced the party leadership’s decisions during a media briefing on Wednesday, signalling dissatisfaction with how the party is being managed.

The suspension of Mkhabela, along with the disciplinary action against Dlamini and other councillors, points to a broader struggle for power within the party.

A week earlier, Barnes announced a resolution for the NFP to withdraw from the coalition government, further complicating the situation. In response, the faction supporting Shinga questioned the legitimacy of Barnes’ authority over decisions taken by the provincial structure.

Adding to the uncertainty, Shinga’s disciplinary hearing has been postponed and is now scheduled to reconvene from Wednesday to Friday. According to official party communications, the adjournment was intended to allow for the proper collation of documents and to ensure witnesses are adequately prepared for upcoming testimonies.

DAILY NEWS