By Sihle Mavuso
KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga had not indicated by Monday whether she would appeal her expulsion from the National Freedom Party, a move that has raised fresh questions about the stability of the province’s government of provincial unity.
The clock is ticking for Shinga to lodge an appeal after the NFP announced over the weekend that it had expelled her for defying a party directive during a vote of no confidence against KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli.
According to NFP acting secretary-general Bheki Xaba, the party’s constitution gives Shinga five days to appeal the sanction to the party’s national working committee.
“Yes, the constitution allows anyone to launch an appeal to the NFP NWC (national working committee). She is given 5 days to appeal as the constitution stipulates,” Xaba said.
At the time of compiling this report on Monday, Shinga had not indicated whether she would appeal the ruling or take the matter on judicial review in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Requests for comment from Inside Politics on her next move went unanswered.
Shinga, who is the provincial chairperson of the NFP and the MEC for Social Development in the government of provincial unity, which is made up of the Inkatha Freedom Party, ANC, Democratic Alliance and the NFP, was expelled after defying a directive from her party to vote for Ntuli’s removal as premier.
The directive related to the heated no-confidence vote on 15 December last year, which descended into chaos and saw Speaker Nontembeko Boyce manhandled. During her debate in the legislature, Shinga made it clear that, with her single seat, she would remain aligned to the GPU.
The instruction to vote against Ntuli came after NFP president Ivan Barnes announced that the party was withdrawing from the GPU, citing corruption among other reasons. He later said the NFP had joined forces with the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party and the Economic Freedom Fighters.
In announcing Shinga’s expulsion on Sunday morning, the NFP leadership said the decision was intended to show that the party would act against members who defied its directives, regardless of their seniority.
“This ruling carries profound implications for the party and its structures: It affirms the non-negotiable nature of discipline within the NFP. It demonstrates that no member, regardless of position or office, is above accountability.
“It signals the NEC’s unwavering commitment to unity, renewal, and constitutional fidelity. It ensures that the party remains safeguarded against defiance, factionalism, and conduct that undermines legitimacy,” the party said.
Shinga’s expulsion has also increased focus on the balance of power in the 80-seat KwaZulu-Natal legislature. The IFP, ANC and DA together hold 40 seats, while the MK Party, EFF and NFP hold 40.
That means if the NFP succeeds in replacing Shinga with a member who backs the opposition bloc, the province could face a 40-40 deadlock that would deepen instability in the legislature.
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