Simon Nare
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) in KwaZulu-Natal is vying to cement its power in provincial governance, positioning itself as the preferred party based on the results of the 2024 national and provincial elections.
The party plans to table a motion of no confidence against Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Premier Thami Ntuli on Monday, with the debate set for the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg.
In the motion, the MKP has outlined a series of alleged failures by the premier as justification for the move.
Over the weekend, the party flooded its social media pages with sloganeering to rally support for its cause.
“This province cannot continue under a coalition whose political DNA is rooted in protecting privilege, preserving elite control and maintaining the economic structure that keeps the African majority on the margins of their own land,” said the statement announcing the motion.
The party said that from the outset, the Government of Provincial Unity was not a government for the people but a “political experiment” to safeguard the interests of the minority.
“Its purpose has been to manage the crisis of poverty, instead of transforming the conditions that produce it. That is why unemployment grows, services collapse and inequality widens, while those who claim to govern busy themselves with defending inherited power.”
In the national and provincial polls, the MKP won the popular vote but fell short of a majority.
The IFP, Democratic Alliance (DA), and African National Congress (ANC), with assistance from a fractured National Freedom Party (NFP), formed a coalition government, relegating the MKP to opposition status.
The MKP now says that the time has come to reclaim governance of the province.
“For too long we have waited. For too long we have watched. On 15 December 2025 at the KZN Legislature, we rise together to take back what is rightfully ours,” it said.
The MKP secured 37 seats out of 80 in the legislature, consolidating to 39 with two from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). However, the IFP’s 15 seats, combined with the ANC’s 14, the DA’s 11, and the NFP’s single seat, gave the coalition a one-vote majority.
The Daily Maverick has reported that dynamics could shift this time, as NFP outcasts from the initial coalition have gained ground and may sway the outcome in the MKP’s favor.
Sensing potential upheaval, the provincial DA announced it will stage a picket outside the legislature to oppose the motion.
The demonstration will be led by provincial leaders and public representatives from the regions.
“They will highlight the importance of stable, accountable governance in KZN and the DA’s firm stance against politically motivated attempts to destabilise the province,” said the party.
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