In the latest twist of the KwaZulu-Natal coalition saga—as covered in prior articles of this series—a faction of the National Freedom Party has defied leadership and vowed to maintain the Government of Provincial Unity, amid deepening internal rifts following the January 9 press conference and the failed December no-confidence bid against Premier Thami Ntuli.
The Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in KwaZulu-Natal continues to teeter as internal National Freedom Party (NFP) divisions escalate. Following party president Ivan Barnes' January 9 announcement—where he suspended legislator Mbali Shinga for refusing to back a no-confidence motion against Premier Thami Ntuli and declared the NFP's withdrawal—a dissenting faction pushed back on January 14.
At a media briefing in Durban, NFP National Chairperson Msawenkosi Mkhabela led the group in rejecting Barnes' decision. "The party is satisfied with the government of provincial unity and will not pull out of it. The president does not have the legal authority to take such a decision," Mkhabela stated. The faction backs Shinga, who was charged for defying orders, and insists provincial structures control coalition participation.
The NFP's single legislative seat is pivotal in the ANC-IFP-DA GPU. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula affirmed efforts to stabilize the coalition, criticizing the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party's role in the no-confidence motion: "We believe that that government will be in a position to weather the storm because it is stable." IFP National Spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa echoed commitment: "Our main priority as the IFP is to ensure the stability of this government of provincial unity."
These developments highlight persistent fractures threatening provincial governance stability.