NFP NEC slams leader over motion vote disbandment

‘The Guptas captured Zuma and she is being captured by the ANC’

A PENDING vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma by opposition parties has divided the National Freedom Party (NFP), with its leader Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi opposed to her party’s MPs supporting a call for the president to step down.

KaMagwaza-Msibi is still recovering from a stroke which saw her taking a lengthy sick leave from political activities.

Although she is struggling to speak, she called a media briefing in Durban on Monday to announce she had disbanded the party’s national executive committee and similar structures in various provinces.

During the briefing, kaMagwaza-Msibi did not say anything except nod as Irvin Barnes, who she appointed as the convener of the interim structure, addressed the media.

But, following this, her deputy, Alex Kekana, and other leaders have approached the Pietermaritzburg High Court to challenge the disbandment.

Kekana fears that kaMagwaza-Msibi wants to remove three MPs, Sicelo Mabika, Nhlanhla Khubisa and Maliyakhe Shelembe, who on April 11, resolved to support a vote of no-confidence against Zuma, together with other KZN opposition MPs.

A source said kaMagwaza-Msibi opposed the call despite the fact she was not present at the meeting that was held in Durban.

Other MPs who were siding with her in favour of Zuma were Sibusiso Mncwabe and Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam.

Kekana said the MPs, together with members of the national and provincial executives, were being persecuted for supporting a call for Zuma to step down.

“The Guptas have captured Zuma, and she is being captured by the ANC. She is saying I was wrong to say, ‘Phansi ngo Zuma (down with Zuma),” said Kekana.

Independent Media has a copy of a letter, which kaMagwaza-Msibi’s spokesperson Canaan Mdletshe issued on April 4 to MPs, calling on them to desist from supporting the “proposed no-confidence motion by opposition parties”.

“KaMagwaza-Msibi is of the view that falling into a trap of supporting other opposition parties simply because we are also the opposition is unfair and unwise as this does not benefit the party in anyway, except for those who lead the motion.”

Opposition to kaMagwaza-Msibi has been seen as an attempt to oust her.

There is a feeling that because of her frail health she is no longer able to continue leading the party, which she formed after being fired from the IFP.

Kekana said members of the disbanded structures had gone to court because she had no power to take party decisions while still officially being on “sick leave”.

“She did not inform me that she had returned from her sick leave. She was supposed to inform me as the deputy president about her return so that I could take her to the NEC.

“She can hardly speak, which serves as proof that she has not recovered,” said Kekana.

She said that kaMagwaza-Msibi had turned the NFP into an ANC project.

He said Mdletshe was interfering with the affairs of the party by calling a party meeting, which excluded other senior leaders.