uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party's motion of no confidence against KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli failed amid chaotic disruptions in the provincial legislature. MK members clashed with police, damaged property, and stalled proceedings for over an hour before the vote was squashed by a coalition majority. The incident highlighted ongoing power struggles in the province following the 2024 elections.
In Pietermaritzburg's KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature on December 15, 2025, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party attempted to oust Premier Thami Ntuli through a motion of no confidence, but the effort collapsed in disarray. MK members, frustrated by the impending defeat, disrupted the session for more than an hour by banging fists on tables, stomping feet, jabbing fingers at police officers, and singing 'Umshini Wami.' Former president Jacob Zuma arrived around 11:58 a.m., sitting pensively in the public gallery alongside party colleagues Willies Mchunu and Tony Yengeni, near ANC figures Jeff Radebe and Mike Mabuyakhulu, IFP's Albert Mncwango, and DA's Dean Macpherson. Zuma departed at 12:58 p.m., just before Speaker Nontembeko Boyce called for the vote, which the MK motion lost.
Scuffles erupted between MK members and police, with one shouting, 'This is not your house. This is our house.' At least one person was injured in the clashes, and property damage included doors being pulled off. MK members attempted to block Speaker Boyce's exit, though she was not assaulted. Boyce described the scene as 'threatening and rowdy,' intended to scare but ultimately failing. ANC's Mike Mabuyakhulu criticized the disruptions, stating, 'These people have no regard for democracy… They are disrupting because they lost. The majority of the parties, except two (MK and the Economic Freedom Fighters), voted against the motion.'
The vote stemmed from the fragile Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) formed after the 2024 elections, where MK secured 37 of 80 seats but was outmaneuvered by a coalition of IFP (15 seats), ANC (14), DA (11), and NFP's Mbali Shinga (1), totaling 40. Shinga, now MEC for Social Development, refused MK pressure, saying, 'True leadership is not in a moment of excitement, but in restraint. This house is not a rally, it is a constitutional place.' MK Chief Whip Bonginkosi Mngadi lambasted Ntuli's 'weak and incompetent' leadership and service delivery failures. EFF's Mongezi Twala called the GPU a 'political hijack.' IFP's Thulasizwe Buthelezi urged choosing 'stability over anarchy.' ANC's Mbali Frazer emphasized the GPU as 'political maturity,' while DA's Sakhile Mngadi noted improved provincial finances.
MK demanded a secret ballot citing threats but was overruled for an open vote. DA leader Francois Rodgers condemned the 'barbaric behaviour,' including an alleged assault on the speaker, and vowed consequences, likening it to an insurrection. MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela decried the outcome as not reflecting KZN's will, vowing to continue the fight.
