NFP fights to survive as honeymoon ends
Leader of IFP offshoot party accepted a ministerial position which fuelled infighting, writes Nce Mkhize
DURBAN’S Curries Fountain Stadium was full of excitement on February 4 2011 as thousands of National Freedom Party (NFP) supporters — clad in orange colours — filled the venue to the brim for the official launch of the party.
Everyone from founding leader Zanele KaMagwazaMsibi and other leaders delivered lofty and colourful speeches, heralding the party’s bright future after they had severed ties with the “intolerant and dictatorial” Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
Exactly four years later the honeymoon is over and the NFP is fast disintegrating before its founders’ very own eyes.
This happens at a time when its leader, Ms KaMagwaza-Msibi, has not been seen in public since she suffered a severe stroke in early December, leaving her speechless and fighting for her life.
Durban-based political analyst Sfiso Kunene said even before Ms KaMagwaza-Msibi’s ailment and public absence, the NFP was fighting off difficulties on several fronts.
“It is an open secret that the party was divided between those who favoured working closely with the ANC and those who wanted the party to remain an independent opposition party. When KaMagwaza-Msibi suddenly accepted the position of deputy minister of science and technology these schisms deepened. When she took ill those who are against her took the opportunity to sow division and try to wrest the party from under her and her supporters,” he said.
Mr Kunene said the NFP’s position and influence in KwaZulu-Natal would be further weakened after next year’s local government elections. Ms KaMagwaza-Msibi, was a former chairperson of the IFP and mayor of the rural Zululand district municipality, when she showed ambitions to succeed the ageing party leader and founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
She was isolated, hounded and finally manoeuvred out of the party, especially after she failed in her court bid to force the IFP to hold an elective conference, where she had hoped she would be able to challenge and trounce Mr Buthelezi.
She and her supporters then launched the NFP. Critics said the party would not last because it was formed out of anger and not out of principled ideology.
Nevertheless, three months after its birth the party managed to draw 1.2-million votes in the 2011 local government elections, mainly in the traditional IFP stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal’s hinterland.
Shortly after the election the NFP decided to enter a coalition with the ANC to co-govern 19 hung municipalities in the province. This coalition has battled to survive and in some municipalities NFP councillors have defied their party leadership and sided with their IFP counterparts to vote out ANC council officials.
Zakhele Ndlovu, a political analyst and senior lecturer at University of KwaZulu-Natal, said the current woes of the NFP stemmed from the fact that the party was formed around a popular personality.
“Once that personality is not around the party struggles to survive. We have seen the same thing happen with Cope and Independent Democrats, and we are likely to see the same thing with the Economic Freedom Fighters.
“By aligning herself with the ANC and accepting a government position, Ms KaMagwazaMsibi signed her party’s death warrant by acting in selfinterest,” he said.
NFP secretary general Nhlanhla Khubisa said his party was united as ever behind the leaders. He said they would hold a fourth birthday celebration later this month.