The National Freedom Party (NFP) in KwaZulu-Natal has slammed the party’s chairperson, Mbali Shinga, over what it described as her alleged “childish conduct” and labelled her an “attention seeker” after she warned that she was prepared to take the party’s internal battles to court.
She said she was prepared to go to court as tensions with suspended NFP president Ivan Barnes and the national leadership escalated ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
Shinga briefed the media on Monday, saying she had exhausted attempts to resolve her dispute with the party through dialogue, and would now defend what she described as the constitutional rights of NFP members and elected structures through every lawful avenue available to her.
“The gloves are off, but our weapons remain the NFP Constitution, the law, the courts where necessary, the democratic rights of our members and ultimately the will of the people.
“We are ready to defend legitimate branch nominations, properly constituted candidate processes and members who are targeted not because they violated the rules, but because somebody has decided that their political association makes them undesirable,” Shinga said.
Ongoing disputes
Her comments come amid an ongoing political and legal dispute between her and the NFP’s national leadership over her membership, political positions and continued representation in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.
The dispute escalated after the national leadership purported to expel Shinga from the party and sought to have her removed from the provincial legislature.
Shinga said she had exercised her constitutional right to approach the courts and that a High Court order on June 18 interdicted the Speaker from giving effect to the NFP’s attempt to remove her, pending the determination of the internal appeal process.
She said the NFP subsequently acknowledged the authority of the order and indicated that she would be given an opportunity to appeal before the National Working Committee.
However, Shinga said the national leadership later informed her that the NWC had upheld her expulsion and subsequently wrote to the Speaker, seeking her removal from the legislature and the deployment of Barnes in her place.
‘Childish conduct’
Shinga maintained that she remained the NFP’s provincial chairperson in KZN, having been elected to the position in Newcastle on September 30, 2023.
“I am the Provincial Chairperson of the NFP in KwaZulu-Natal, as elected by the people in Newcastle on 30 September 2023,” she said, adding that the dispute had, however, grown beyond her own position and was now affecting the wider organisation.
In response, the NFP said in a media statement that it was “dismayed by the childish conduct” of Shinga and insisted that she had been expelled as the party’s KZN chairperson.
“It seem(s) the lady is an attention seeker of note whose shady antics are attempts to portray her as a principled individual,” said NFP Acting Provincial Secretary Zithembe Ngobese, adding that Shinga was expelled because of the same conduct that made her the “party’s constitutional delinquent”.
He said that, since her election as KZN chairperson in 2023, she had never been compliant.
“She nearly singlehandedly destroyed the PEC of KZN with her attitude and factional tendencies,” he said.
Ngobese said the KZN PEC had no information about the media briefing she held on Monday and that nothing she said represented the NFP or its “ground forces”.
“We will not allow lawlessness from anyone, including Mbali, to overlook the party and its constitutionality.”
“We distance ourselves from that comedian circus.”
Ngobese claimed Shinga had persistently undermined the party’s constitution, policies and other relevant party lines and provisions.
“She always ignores her true character of being a rogue individual and instead purports herself as a victim in the process.”
“Mbali cannot lecture us on party mandate and directives she failed to adhere to from day one; she literally holds no authority at any party structure within our movement.
“Her notable factional and divisive narratives and conduct have been very disturbing behaviour.
“Getting rid of her was the best political decision the party has ever made to ill-disciplined members,” Ngobese said.
He said one of Shinga’s alleged acts of ill-discipline was her “embarrassing solitary decision” to negotiate the position of KZN Legislature deputy speaker without the party’s involvement.
“The party and the deployment committee had not mandated her nor anyone to negotiate such a position.
“After the deployment committee stopped her from those shenanigans, the NFP eventually got a nod and negotiated for the Social Development Department, which she was sworn to in 2024.”
Suspensions, removals, expulsions
Ngobese assured party members that there was no “crisis” in the NFP and said preparations for the local government elections were in full swing, with the party planning to contest in all KZN districts.
“Those who left the party had no ambitions or aspirations to remain at the party because of their ill-discipline. Loyal members of the NFP will remain.”
Meanwhile, Shinga accused the NFP leadership of weakening the party through suspensions, removals, expulsions and internal conflict.
“The National Freedom Party is in serious political and organisational trouble,” she said, pointing to the suspension of Zodwa Mtshali and the removal of Thuba Thwala, Bawinile Mhlongo and Sibusiso Mkhabela.
“The most disturbing feature… is the apparent belief that removing people constitutes rebuilding an organisation,” Shinga said.
She also warned against excluding candidates from election lists because they are seen as “Shinga people”, saying she would challenge such decisions internally and, where necessary, in court.
Shinga said the infighting had distracted the NFP from preparations for the elections, while rival parties were organising communities and strengthening their campaigns.
