Mbali Shinga faces recall from NFP as confidant reveals her struggles

As KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga awaits her fate in the National Freedom Party (NFP), her confidant has spoken out about her pain due to her party's move to recall her from the provincial Parliament.  

Shinga, the lone party MPL, is being subjected to disciplinary action for defying her party’s instruction to support the vote of no confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli.

Her party has this week announced that it is withdrawing from the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), a situation that might put the provincial government into disarray as it holds the balance of power. 

In mid-December, parties in the Parliament, Pietermaritzburg, voted, in an open ballot, on the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP)’s motion against Ntuli. 

Shinga defied an instruction from her party, led by Ivan Rowan Barnes, to join the MKP and EFF in voting to oust Ntuli, the IFP provincial chairperson, and instead she voted along with the DA, ANC, and the IFP to keep Ntuli as the provincial government head. 

According to Shinga’s sympathiser, this enraged Barnes, who, together with MKP leader Jacob Zuma, was sitting in the gallery observing the proceedings.

The proceeding, which took place on December 15, became chaotic after Speaker Nontembeko Boyce declined to accede to the MKP and EFF’s demand for a secret vote. 

Shinga’s associate, who cannot be named to protect him from the party’s reprisals, stated that she was exhausted and frustrated by her party's treatment.

He said she attended the sitting of the party’s disciplinary committee, which is scheduled to hold the disciplinary hearing for three days, on Wednesday and Thursday. 

“It is not sitting tomorrow (Friday) as it has postponed because of disagreement on certain issues,”  he said.

The hearing will sit again on January 14 and 15.   

“The hearing has not started as they are still dealing with preliminaries," he said. 

The issues of disagreement were that Shinga is arguing that, according to the party’s constitution, only her branch could subject her to disciplinary action, not the national officer.

Boyce has also declined the party’s call for Shinga to be removed as the MEC, saying that could only be done once she is expelled from the party, not based on the suspension of her membership. 

“She (Shinga) questioned them (disciplinary committee) whether they (national leadership) were the right people, as per the NFP constitution, to charge her.

“So we are still dealing with that matter, and she asked them to provide documents to support their position. The case has not started, and she had not pleaded,” he said. 

Her associate said her branch at Ward 18 in Umzumbe, south coast, had not been contacted about the action against her. 

He said the branch is watching this as a movie, as it has not been contacted by anyone. 

He stated that it remained unclear whether the branch would agree to charge her if her case were referred to it.

“They (the branch) have constitutional powers to review the matter and respond accordingly, as they are a legitimate structure.” 

He said the NFP leadership was hellbent on removing Shinga from Parliament at all costs. 

“Even before the conclusion of the disciplinary hearing, she is being instructed to resign. 

“Since it is only now that that NFP is saying that it is withdrawing from the GPU, whereas the vote on motion of no confidence took place on December 15, the NFP was part of the GPU, meaning she was not wrong in voting in favour of the premier. 

“It is only now that they are saying they are resigning from the GPU,”  he said. 

On December 19, the party informed Shinga about her suspension on the basis of defying its instruction to vote against Ntuli.

“He was so angry that we ended up thinking that he had personal issues against the premier,”  read the letter.

It also said Shinga was invited on December 16 to make representations on December 18 at 8am as to why the party should not take actions against her.     

“You elected not to exercise your right to be heard prior to a decision being made on whether to suspend you or not.

“The NEC decided (on December 18 midday) to suspend your membership pending the disciplinary inquiry as it would be detrimental to the interest of the party to allow you to continue representing the party in the KZN legislature,”  the letter read. 

It is believed that the party wants Barnes to replace Shinga in the Legislature. 

“One thing I know is that he (Barnes) was very angry that Shinga’s vote saved the premier.

“He was so angry that we ended up thinking that he has personal issues against the premier, maybe dating from the past,” he said. 

bongani.hans@inl.co.za