Overview
- The National Freedom Party formally withdrew from KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity, with party leader Irvan Barnes citing broken agreements and administrative failures by partners.
- The party ordered its sole MPL, Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga, to resign after she defied instructions in December’s no-confidence vote, and she has appeared before the NFP disciplinary committee.
- Barnes said the NFP will take up opposition seats and ruled out forming a government with the MK Party or the EFF.
- The ANC, IFP and DA insist the provincial government has not collapsed and say they will work to maintain stability, while the legislature speaker noted no formal notice yet of executive changes.
- The exit resets the seat arithmetic to a 40–40 balance, and analysts warn this could trigger vote-by-vote bargaining, threaten passage of budgets, and potentially prompt fresh negotiations or early elections.