South Africa: Embattled NFP Leader Battles Says Party Isn't Ready for Elections

What the report says

Mbali Shinga, the KwaZulu-Natal chairperson of South Africa’s National Freedom Party, says the party is not prepared for the local elections set for 4 November because of internal divisions. Her comments were reported by Scrolla and distributed by AllAfrica. Shinga is currently fighting her expulsion from the NFP in court, and she has said the party is losing visibility in communities as senior figures leave or align elsewhere.

According to the report, Shinga was removed earlier this year after refusing to support a motion of no confidence against KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli. She remains in the provincial legislature and as MEC for Social Development under an interim court interdict while her legal challenge continues. At a media briefing, she said supporters are being excluded from candidate nomination lists and that she is ready to defend the party’s constitution in court.

The article also says more than eight NFP councillors in Zululand, eThekwini and Ekurhuleni have joined the National People’s Ambassador, a new party linked to Shinga’s faction. The report notes that the NFP has accused Shinga and her allies of secretly building a rival party, while Shinga’s side says the new group emerged after the split. The NFP leadership could not be reached for comment, according to the story.

The piece adds wider context: the NFP faced a serious election dispute in 2016 and was unable to contest that year’s vote after a funding deadline issue before the electoral commission. That history underscores why the current leadership dispute matters as the November election approaches.