MK Party Threatens Legal Action Against KZN Legislature Speaker After 36 MPL’s Are Suspended

• The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is threatening legal action against Nontembeko Nothemba Boyce
• The party is unhappy with the KZN Legislature Speaker after she suspended numerous Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs)
• Boyce took action against several members following a chaotic and violent sitting on 15 December 2025 in Pietermaritzburg

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

KWAZULU-NATAL – The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party is threatening legal action against the speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Legislature, Nontembeko Nothemba Boyce.

Boyce, a member of the African National Congress (ANC), presided over the recent Motion of No Confidence against KZN Premier, Thami Ntuli.

The motion was heard on 15 December 2025 in Pietermaritzburg, but it descended into chaos after members of the MK Party and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) expressed frustration at some of the speaker’s rulings and disrupted proceedings.

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Why is the MK Party threatening legal action?

The party has since threatened legal action against the speaker after she suspended many of its members.

Boyce suspended 36 Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) after their violent conduct in the chambers. Thirty-five of the suspended MPLs were from the MKP, while one was from the EFF.

MK Party members tried to prevent Boyce from leaving the chamber, pushing and shoving her, while hurling insults. Some members also clashed with police, with one female member spotted assaulting an officer as the South African Police Service (SAPS) tried to restore order.

Boyce issued the suspensions after accusing the members of the legislature of having conducted a deliberate, coordinated assault on the dignity of the House. The suspensions mean that 36 members will be barred from five sittings, starting from the first one on 12 January 2026.

MK Party responds to Boyce’s decision

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Chief Whip of the MK Party, Siphiwe Moyo-Mbatha, labelled Boyce’s decision as unlawful and politically dangerous.

“There’s no procedural fairness. She just decided to suspend members of the Umkhonto WeSizwe Party. Therefore, we take these letters as a joke,” he said.

“We are consulting with our legal team because we strongly feel the speaker is abusing the powers and privileges that she has as the speaker,” he added.

The chaotic sitting saw Ntuli remain as the province's Premier, after the MKP and EFF members refused to participate in the vote, and the Speaker ruled that the motion failed. The motion was brought forward by the MK Party.

Other stories about the motion of no-confidence vote

Briefly News has covered several articles about the chaotic sitting in the KZN Legislature and the aftermath of it.

• The National Freedom Party's Mbali Shinga confirmed that she would not be supporting the MK Party's motion.
• The KZN Speaker, Nontembeko Nothemba Boyce, denied the application for the vote to be conducted via secret ballot.
• The MK Party promised to return with another motion against the Premier after their first one ended in chaos.

Source: Briefly News