By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has survived a motion of no confidence brought by the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party amid violent scenes inside the legislature.
Proceedings descended into chaos after Speaker of the Legislature, Nontombeko Boyce, declined the MK Party’s request for vote to be conducted by secret ballot. They objected to the ruling, disrupting the sitting.
As tensions escalated, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) were called into the chamber to restore order. A scuffle ensued between police officers and MK Party members, prompting the temporary suspension of proceedings.
They clashed with police and punches were thrown in the legislature, as a result an ambulance took one Member of Provincial Legislature away.
Slindile Seme of the MK party 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.
The incident adds to growing political tensions in the provincial legislature, particularly following recent shifts in party representation after the national and provincial elections.
The MK party needed 41 votes to remove Ntuli, who is an IFP member. However, the motion failed after every member of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), voted against it.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had indicated it will support the motion. It said it had not summoned its supporters and would let its leaders in the legislature handle the business of the day.
Both MK Party and EFF had pinned their hopes on support from National Freedom Party (NFP) sole member in the legislature Mbali Shinga, but this was met with a setback when she made it clear she will not join the coalition against Ntuli. She labelled motion as designed to grab media headlines.
“A motion of no confidence should flow from a proper assessment of the performance of a government. This motion doesn’t pass that test,” Shinga said.
According to the MK Party, Ntuli amongst other things failed to create jobs for the unemployed people of KZN.
Ntuli heads the GPU, which incorporates the African National Congress (ANC), his Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the Democratic Alliance (DA), and the NFP.
Seventeen months ago, the GPU emerged victorious, but by a whisker in the 80-member provincial legislature.
The MK party swept the floor in the 2024 elections in KZN, securing 37 of the 80 seats, but the opposition united to keep it out of power.
The IFP (15), ANC (14), and DA (11) coalition took 40 seats and won power with the support of a single vote from the NFP’s solitary provincial representative, Shinga.
Shinga’s vote blocked the MK party’s then coalition prospects with the EFF, which secured two legislative seats.
Shinga was rewarded with a provincial cabinet post by Ntuli, who appointed her MEC for Social Development.
But Shinga and NFP party president Ivan Barnes don’t see eye to eye. He has lobbied the party caucus to demand she vote with the MK party to support the motion.
The motion received 40 votes in favour, with 39 against.
Ntuli condemned the behaviour, accusing the MK Party and EFF of gender-based violence for attacking Boyce.
“We are saying to the people of KwaZulu-Natal that the government of provincial unity is here to stay. The IFP will continue to contribute to changing the lives of the people of KwaZulu-Natal,” said Ntuli.
“We are urging uMkhonto weSizwe to bring back those children. Mothers are crying because their children were sent to Russia. Human trafficking plagues this country, and I’m uncertain about the actions of the MK Party in KwaZulu-Natal.