THE National Freedom Party (NFP) held a briefing in Durban yesterday (Friday, January 9) because “the people deserve answers. Answers about why a vote of no confidence aimed at uprooting the corruption entrenched within the KwaZulu-Natal GPU has failed”.

In his address NFP president Ivan Barnes highlighted that KZN currently stands on a historical threshold. “One path leads to deeper dispossession managed by elites. The other leads to economic justice,” he asserted.

Barnes said his party refuses collaboration and comfort purchased at the price of betrayal.
“We are here to expose the truth: the reality behind a government that tramples the very foundations of democracy it claims to uphold. This is not just governance gone astray, it is a betrayal of every principle, every promise, and every citizen who trusted in the system.

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“We are deeply conscious that every decision taken today will shape the destiny of generations to come. KwaZulu-Natal today faces a collapse of governance at both provincial and municipal levels. Service delivery has become inconsistent, and infrastructure continues to deteriorate,” Barnes added.

“The political elites of the ANC, IFP, and DA have demonstrated a reckless willingness to burn this province to preserve power and privilege, with no regard for the future of the next generation. The DA preaches morality and ethical governance, yet their ethics are like water — slippery, shapeless, disappearing the moment it is tested.

“The ANC and the IFP parade themselves as the heirs of our democracy, and today they are holding hands as newlyweds, yet it is in the public domain that the IFP before the 2024 National and Provincial elections made unequivocally clear that where they will govern in KZN, they will not work with the ANC, but moments after elections, he changed his tune.”

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IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said the withdrawal of the NFP from the GPU would not bring about change in governance because the status quo would remain below 50%. “If a political party creates a deadlock, they’re not interested in bringing progress for the people of KZN,” Hlabisa added.

Francois Rodgers, DA KZN provincial leader, said while the DA respects the NFP’s prerogative his party questions the motive behind this decision, as it is not about service delivery failures.

“As a member of the GPU, the DA remains committed to the people of our province and we will continue to engage with the like-minded parties, including the NFP, to ensure that there is stability in KwaZulu-Natal,” Rodgers shared.

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The ANC in the province is confident of the stability of the GPU. “We respect that the NFP has the right to make decisions about its allegiances. However, we will seek bilateral engagements with the NFP to discuss the party’s alleged stance,” said the party’s provincial co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu.

Mabuyakhulu dispelled the notion that NFP’s departure would automatically collapse the GPU. The ANC has since allegedly requested an urgent meeting with the NFP to discuss the withdrawal and other matters.

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