The MK party's motion of no confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli was supported by the EFF.
The provincial government of unity (GPU) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has emerged victorious after a motion of no confidence brought against Premier Thami Ntuli failed on Monday.
The motion, brought by the MK party, was supported by the EFF and opposed by the DA, ANC, NFP and IFP.
The MK party is the only party in the province that received more than 40% of the provincial vote. It has 37 seats in the legislature. This is the basis on which the party brought the motion against Premier Ntuli, arguing that KZN voters had been robbed.
The MK party needed 41 votes to remove Ntuli, who is an IFP member. However, the motion failed after every member of the GPU voted against it.
MK party protests
Jacob Zuma’s party, however, brought proceedings to a standstill when Speaker Nontembeko Boyce refused to allow a secret ballot during the motion.
Alongside EFF councillors, MK party members sang and danced in the chambers to prevent the vote from going ahead.
The MK party claimed that some members had been threatened and did not feel safe to vote in an open ballot.
Boyce repeatedly told members of the legislature that they would be removed if they did not return to their seats.
As the protest continued, police were called in to escort the disruptive members from the sitting. The MK party members then pushed back against the police officers trying to remove them from the sitting.
Despite the chaos, the motion of no confidence failed.
‘Violent crime on crisis level’
Before the disruptions, members of the MK party and the EFF argued for Ntuli’s removal.
EFF member Mongezi Twala argued to adopt the motion, saying the GPU had failed to deliver services to the people of KZN.
“The youth unemployment remains catastrophic, and millions are trapped in informal work with no stability or security. The premier has offered no bold provincial plan, no industrial vision and no urgent intervention for the growing army of unemployed young people in KZN,” said Twala.
“A provincial government that cannot produce a clear economic agenda is a government that is already defeated. The seventh administration has not launched any structured plan to rebuild township economies, strengthen rural industries, support small businesses or develop local manufacturing capacity to absorb unemployed youth and our people in the communities.
“The human settlements department has worsened due to chronic mismanagement of contractors, where some abandon projects. Others fail to meet standards, and the government lacks the capacity or the political will to enforce accountability. Basic service delivery continues to crumble in districts across KZN, with persistent water shortages, unreliable electricity, unmaintained roads and a failing sanitation system.
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“These failures are not isolated incidents; they’re a reflection of a systemic, dysfunctional provincial government operating without any vision, discipline or effective leadership.”
Twala also lamented the high level of crime in the province.
“Violent crime in KZN remains at a crisis level, with murders, robbery, GBV and political killings continuing at an alarming pace. The premier has failed to mobilise provincial resources, modernise policing strategies or introduce proactive measures to keep communities safer, especially in rural regions.
“Rural communities are left to fend for themselves as law enforcement remains overwhelmed, underequipped and poorly coordinated. The EFF supports the motion of no confidence because democracy must be protected.”
Ntuli has ‘sold out’
Slindile Seme of the MK party said Ntuli had “sold out” because the DA staged a protest before the vote to save him from losing his position as KZN premier.
She argued that as the party with the most votes, the MK party deserved to lead the province.
“Today, we’re witnessing white people protesting to save Thami Ntuli as premier of this province, which only means one thing: premier, you have sold out,” she said.
“We can stand here and fool ourselves by claiming that the government of provincial unity was the will of the people, but we all know that the people of KZN voted for the MK party. People of KZN never voted to bring white people to power; you’re robbing us.
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“Your conscience lies with you to save the ANC today, and that opportunity was brought to you by the MK party. If you’re not going to do it for your party, do it for the people of KZN. I’m here to debate the motion of no confidence against the premier of KwaZulu-Natal on account of widespread government failures, mismanagement, corruption and collapse of service delivery under his leadership.
“The people of KZN entrusted the provincial government and office of the premier with the responsibility to ensure sound governance, transparent and accountable use of public resources, and consistent delivery of essential services including water, sanitation, electricity, housing, health and education.”
‘Disagreement is not disloyalty’
Mbali Shinga of the NFP said the motion brought against Ntuli was based on political noise, not principle. Consequently, the NFP would stick with the GPU.
“True leadership is not proven in moments of excitement, but in restraint. The NFP rises today guided by principle, not political convenience,” said Shinga.
“This house is not a rally, public spectacle or procedural shortcuts; it is a constitutional institution governed by the rules and responsibilities that bind all of us equally. A motion of no confidence is directed at the executive; it must be assessed on governance, performance, accountability and constitutional conduct, not on noise, speculation or political manoeuvring.
“This motion is clear; it does not meet that threshold. The NFP is not dictated to by headlines, social media pressure or external excitement; we are guided by the constitution, the rules of the legislature, and the mandate of our voters. Disagreement is not disloyalty.”
Siboniso Duma of the ANC argued against the motion.
“We are duty-bound not to compromise service delivery. There is a myth we must demystify today: that a certain organisation won here. We have a debate today because of that shallow understanding. The seats in this house are 80; for you to win, you need 40 plus one, nothing less. We are going to emerge victorious.”
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