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National Freedom Party president Ivan Barnes wants the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) to remove KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli. Failure to do so will let the NFP reconsider its position in the Government of Provincial Unity. The NFP is accusing Ntuli of failing to act against what they term corrupt MECs in the GPU. Speaking to the media in Durban, Barnes says they no longer trust Premier Ntuli’s leadership. WATCH | “We don’t serve for positions; we serve for principles. We are not driven by power but by purpose,” says NFP President Ivan Barnes. He adds, “We don’t trust the honourable Thamsanqa Ntuli.” pic.twitter.com/NOkY7iX54D — SABC News (@SABCNews) November 1, 2025 VIDEO | NFP briefs the media on KZN GPU issues Barnes says they cannot keep quiet about the alleged corruption in the GPU. The party has been the kingmaker in the provincial legislature, after their one seat helped to secure the majority for the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP coalition. Recent developments regarding the vote of no confidence against Premier Ntuli have divided the NFP leadership. While the party’s national leadership supported the motion, its provincial leadership distanced itself from the party’s position. The NFP accuses Ntuli of failing to act against corruption in the province. According to Barnes, the 2025 SCOPA report found that irregular expenditure amounts to R34,4 billion in the provincial department of transport, followed by the department of health with R24 billion and the department of education with R5,7 billion. The NFP believes the IFP and the African National Congress (ANC) must take action against their members. “We are placing that we haven’t withdrawn from the GPU, but we are merely saying and we need to clarify it, from SCOPA the dept of Transport is leading with a staggering of R34,4 billion in irregular expenditure, that is corruption. Therefore, as NFP, we are saying NFP must withdraw Thami Ntuli, secondly, ANC must withdraw Sipho Hlomuka, thirdly, must withdraw Nomagugu Simelane as MEC.” NFP and MK Party Barnes also confirms that the NFP and uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) will meet to discuss the future of the province. According to Barnes, the MKP Party, which is the majority party, must lead KZN. “The NFP receive an invitation from the MK Party and we have taken an NEC decision to go and meet the MK party and we were not there when they started their motion of no confidence, but when we raised that we don’t have confidence in the premier, that is when they sent us and all parties have met with MK in trying to seal a deal and that is why we are saying in statement that there is a general feelings in all partners to say MK Party must take lead.” The NFP also reiterates its promise of discipline for the leaders who act against the party’s mandate. The party’s provincial chairperson and member of the legislature, Mbali Shinga disputed Barnes’s statement that the party supports the motion of no confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli. NFP’s national treasurer, Xolani Sibiya elaborates, “When a member in any structure and publicly defies and denounces the party position and the national leadership and creates parallel narratives and sows confusion and divisions, they are indeed violating the national constitution. Therefore, the NEC has taken a decision to initiate disciplinary proceedings against those members, specifically those who are deployed by the organisation to strategic positions but tend to undermine and denounce the very same leadership in public. Let there be no ambiguity, and the NFP will always be bigger than the single or individual structure.” This, while the party asked to be given space to deal with its internal challenges. NFP dissatisfied with KZN coalition arrangement: Dr Levy Ndou weighs in
