Unpaid bills may shut NFP out of election

● The National Freedom Party (NFP) might not make it onto the ballot paper for the May 8 general election if its creditors succeed in obtaining a liquidation order for an alleged R13m unpaid bill.

The NFP is an offshoot of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), having broken away in 2011. It is now led by Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, the deputy minister of science and technology and once the chair of the IFP.

The Ezulweni Investments company claims it is owed the money for election material for the 2016 local government elections. The party did not even take part in the elections because it “forgot” to pay a deposit to the Independent Electoral Commission.

The Sunday Times has seen an invoice from Ezulweni to the party for materials, ranging from jackets and blankets to umbrellas, caps and banners. In November, Ezulweni obtained a judgment in the Western Cape High Court against the party.

Ezulweni lawyer Shafique Sarlie said he was waiting for instructions on the liquidation of the party.

Ezulweni CEO Renash Ramdas said: “It can never be easy to run a business with that amount of money owed to you.”

Ramdas said the party at first denied owing the money. Sarlie said it was only after the NFP leadership was shown proof that it acknowledged the debt.

“The proof included a video of when the material was delivered at the home of party leader Magwaza-Msibi. It was really a fanfare event in that neighbourhood when the material was delivered,” Sarlie said.

The NFP caucus secretary, Ahmed Munzoor Shaik-Emam, wrote a letter acknowledging the debt and committed to making R100,000 monthly payments. Sarlie said the party made only one payment, in July.

Shaik-Emam told the Sunday Times the issue with Ezulweni had been resolved before ending the telephone call.