NFP elects Ivan Barnes as president, despite squabbles, delays and letters of suspension

Johnathan Paoli

Ivan Barnes has been elected as the president of the National Freedom Party, beating fellow contender, Zandile Myeni with 18 votes.

More than 600 delegates attended the party’s national elective conference in Durban on Friday, despite the three-day conference experiencing several challenges, including delays with registering delegates.

Divisions and leader squabbles have dogged the NFP for some time and even forced the Independent Election Commission to issue an order to the party to settle its internal affairs by March, next year.

The conference was haunted by issues of validity as senior NFP members previously received suspension letters barring them from participating in all party activities, including the main contenders for party president – Myeni and Barnes  – who both refused to recognise their suspension letters.

Barnes said he did not recognise the suspension from party SG Canaan Mdletshe and continued to attend the conference.

Myeni said that the