Fresh blow as top NFP leaders quit
DIVISIONS continued to rock the youthful National Freedom Party (NFP) on Sunday when the party’s president, Zanele kaMagwazaMsibi, announced that she had accepted the resignations of party secretary-general Nhlanhla Khubisa and national chairman Maliyakhe Shelembe.
The party was formed on the eve of the 2011 local government polls. It won 644,917 votes in that election, giving it more than 200 councillors, mainly in KwaZulu-Natal.
The NFP’s national working committee meeting lasted well into Saturday night when it resolved to suspend its deputy chairman Scelo Mabika and treasurer Xolani Ndlovu. Khubisa and the three other leaders became the focus of NFP supporters’ backlash and came under mounting pressure after the party was disqualified by the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) from contesting the August 3 municipal elections.
It was accused of failing to pay the IEC a deposit before the June 2 deadline, resulting in the commission barring the party from contesting the local government polls on August 3.
The NFP has since taken the decision to the Electoral Court. The matter was heard on Friday and the court has reserved its decision, which is expected this week.
The party has indicated that it will contest the IEC’s disqualification all the way to the Constitutional Court if the Electoral Court rules against it.
NFP leader Nomusa Nhlenyama told a press conference in Durban on Sunday that Mabika and Ndlovu would face charges of financial mismanagement and disciplinary action, as they were directly responsible for the party’s failure to register with the IEC.
KaMagwaza-Msibi, the party’s leader who is still recovering from a stroke she suffered nearly two years ago, issued a statement on Sunday in which she accepted Khubisa and Shelembe’s resignations. She called on the party to stand together “during these difficult times”.
KaMagwaza-Msibi said the resignations “were not surprising”, following the meeting on Saturday at which members deliberated on issues which had brought the party into disrepute.
“I wish them well in their future endeavours, and at the same time I
urge our members and supporters not to panic and not do anything that could jeopardise our party in any way,” she said.
The NFP would not be brought to its knees by the resignation of its two leaders, she said.
“I call upon our members and supporters to unite even more so that we can contest the forthcoming elections vigorously‚ as they are the embodiment of our strength.”
KaMagwaza-Msibi’s spokesman, Canaan Mdletshe, said that Khubisa had issued three letters during the course of Saturday night.
“In one he said he was resigning. About five minutes later he sent another, in which he withdrew that resignation. About 45 minutes later he sent a final letter, in which he said he is resigning,” he said.
University of KwaZulu-Natal politics lecturer Zakhele Ndlovu said the NFP would emerge from its skirmishes weaker than before.
“The events of the past week show clearly that all is not well within the party,” Ndlovu said.
“It is clear that different factions in the party are at war with each other. This became more clear after the party’s leader took ill. Even if the IEC were to restore the party to the electoral race, some of its supporters would be reluctant to campaign for it if it is seen as divided,” he said.
On Wednesday dozens of angry NFP party supporters trashed the party’s headquarters in Durban, destroying electioneering material and calling for leaders hostile to KaMagwaza-Msibi to step down.
Last Thursday the NFP had to abandon plans to march in the Durban city centre against the IEC’s decision to bar it from participating in the polls after only a dozen supporters turned up — not the thousands the party had promised.
The IEC said it would start printing its ballot papers this week without the NFP’s inclusion.
But Sizwe Vezi, an NFP party supporter from northern KwaZuluNatal, said he remained hopeful that the party would participate in next month’s poll.
“It will be very difficult for the party if we are barred.
“We have to remain hopeful even if we see the odds are stacked against us,” he said.
“If the court rules in our favour and the IEC has already printed its ballot papers, it will have to do something to accommodate the NFP.
“We have had a similar situation in 1994 when we were in the Inkatha Freedom Party and it agreed to participate in the elections at a late stage. The IEC had to stick the IFP’s details to the bottom of the ballot papers,” Vezi said.