Former MPL Zakhele Mncwango Says NFP Got It Wrong In Attempt to Remove Shinga
- Former MPL Mncwango criticises NFP's attempt to suspend Mbali Shinga from the KZN Legislature.
- The Action SA Provincial Chairperson said the NFP lacks the authority to remove Shinga from her elected responsibilities in government
- Speaker Boyce’s decision against Shinga's suspension has been supported by parties within the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU)
Source: Getty Images
Former KwaZulu-Natal MPL Zwakele Mncwango has criticised the National Freedom Party’s (NFP) recent attempt to have KZN Legislature Speaker Nontembeko Boyce suspend Mbali Shinga, the party’s sole representative in the provincial house.
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Mncwango says NFP does not have the power to replace Shinga
In a video posted on X, Mncwango argued that while the NFP has the authority to suspend Shinga from party activities or revoke her membership, it does not have the power to prevent her from performing her duties as a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) or as a legislator.
Mncwango said there is a clear misunderstanding of the law.
“Political parties can discipline their members internally, but once elected, a public representative cannot be removed from government functions by a party. They can only stop her from performing any duties within the party”
The NFP wrote to the Speaker
The NFP had approached Speaker Boyce seeking Shinga’s suspension, citing internal party disputes. However, legal experts and former legislators have noted that the party overstepped its mandate by attempting to interfere with her official legislative role.
Speaker Boyce declined the NFP’s request, delivered on 23 December 2025, stating that the conditions for such an action had not been met. This comes after Shinga was suspended from the party for three months following her refusal to vote for a motion of no confidence against Thami Ntuli on 15 December 2025.
“There is no parliamentary law that allows the Speaker to accept a party letter suspending a member from parliament or government duties,” Mncwango added.
Source: Getty Images
The GPU coalition backs the Speaker.
Briefly News previously reported that the DA backed the Premier in the motion of no confidence, even marching to the KZN Legislature on 15 December 2025. The DA has also supported Speaker Boyce’s decision not to suspend Shinga. Francois Rodgers, DA KZN provincial leader, said the caucus has full confidence in Boyce and the legislature’s legal team. He further said the Speaker has consistently shown impartiality when applying the rules. "Any aggrieved party, of course, has the right to challenge decisions through available legal mechanisms,” Rodgers said.
In related news, Briefly reported that the ANC praised the Speaker’s response, emphasising that the Legislature cannot act solely based on internal party decisions. “The Speaker emphasised that constitutional and legislative provisions must guide the removal of any elected representative, and Honourable Shinga has not violated any rules of the Legislature,” the ANC KZN said. The ANC had previously expressed support for Thami Ntuli leading up to the vote. Siboniso Duma said he had full confidence in the members of the legislature and suggested the party’s concern was more about the festive season than the motion of no confidence.
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Source: Briefly News
