NFP Expels KwaZulu-Natal MEC Mbali Shinga Again as Fresh Court Battle Looms
The National Freedom Party (NFP) has once again expelled KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga, reigniting an internal political battle that appears destined for the courts.
The latest decision marks another dramatic chapter in the long running dispute between Shinga and her party. While the NFP insists she ignored multiple opportunities to address disciplinary concerns, Shinga has dismissed the move and says her legal team is preparing to challenge it.
The party’s top leadership resolved on Monday to reinstate Shinga’s expulsion. It has already written to KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Speaker Nontembeko Boyce, requesting that Shinga’s seat be declared vacant so that NFP president Ivan Barnes can be sworn in as her replacement.
According to a letter signed by Sunset Xaba, the party said Shinga was given an opportunity to make representations after returning from court in an effort to contest her previous expulsion. However, the NFP claims she failed to respond.
The letter also alleges that Shinga did not attend two crucial meetings held on 4 and 5 of the month.
“In one of the meetings, you just left without saying goodbye, and you did not show up at all for the second one. Instead, you came up with unconvincing reasons regarding family matters,” the letter states.
In a separate letter addressed to Speaker Boyce, the NFP confirmed that Shinga’s earlier expulsion had now been reinstated. The party asked the Legislature to remove her as a member and allow Barnes to take her place.
Shinga, however, remains defiant.
Speaking on Tuesday morning, she questioned how many times she could be expelled from the same political party.
“I should be in the history books for these expulsions because even I no longer know how many times I have been fired,” she said.
“All I can say is that we have received the letter, and my legal team is currently working on it to prepare to go to court to challenge this decision.”
Despite the latest development, Shinga said she was continuing with her official responsibilities. At the time of the interview, she was travelling to meet communities across KwaZulu-Natal as part of her department’s campaign against drug abuse.
Speaker Nontembeko Boyce declined to comment in detail when contacted, saying she was travelling and unable to speak at the time.
The dispute stems from a major political showdown within the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. The NFP accuses Shinga of refusing to follow party instructions to vote alongside the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party during an attempt to remove Premier Thami Ntuli’s provincial government.
The failed vote, held on 15 December last year, sought to replace the current administration with a coalition led by the MK Party and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The sitting descended into chaos, with heated exchanges, insults and physical confrontations between lawmakers.
The renewed expulsion now sets the stage for another legal confrontation that could determine not only Shinga’s political future but also the balance of power within the NFP and the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.
With court proceedings expected, the battle over Shinga’s membership is far from over. For now, the party is pushing ahead with plans to replace her, while she prepares to fight for her position through the courts.
