NFP purge widens as Shinga allies removed from leadership
Shinga has already been removed as both an NFP Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) and a member of the provincial executive council.
The NFP national leadership has widened its internal purge following the expulsion of its KwaZulu-Natal provincial chairperson, Mbali Shinga, removing several of her allies from the party’s top leadership structures.
Shinga, who also served as the government of provincial unity (GPU) MEC for Social Development, has already been removed as both an NFP Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) and a member of the provincial executive council.
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The latest round of action has claimed several senior party figures regarded as part of her support base.
Among those removed is the party’s national chairperson, Sibusiso Mkhabela, who also serves as the mayor of eDumbe Municipality.
According to an internal NFP memorandum, Mkhabela has been stripped of his positions as national chairperson and as a member of the party’s national executive committee (NEC).
The purge also extends to NFP national organiser Bawinile Mhlongo and senior party leader Thuba Thwala, both of whom have been removed from the NEC.
Thwala has taken the NFP leadership to court on multiple occasions over factional disputes and alleged constitutional breaches.
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In addition, the party’s KZN provincial secretary, Zodwa Mtshali, has been suspended by the national leadership.
The internal memorandum further states that the affected leaders automatically lose their positions in the national working committee (NWC).
“As participation in the National Working Committee (NWC) is by virtue of membership of the NEC, they are also removed as NWC members,” the memo states.
The latest developments suggest that the fallout from Shinga’s expulsion is evolving into a broader restructuring of the party’s leadership, with the national leadership moving against officials perceived to be aligned with the former provincial chairperson.
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The move is expected to intensify speculation about factional battles within the NFP at a time when the party is seeking to consolidate its position in KwaZulu-Natal politics ahead of future elections.
