Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature are engaged in a heated debate over a motion of no confidence in Premier Thami Ntuli, which is the sole item on the agenda of a special sitting convened for the purpose.
The motion, tabled by the MK Party, accuses the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) of financial mismanagement and governance failures. MK Party chief whip Bonginkosi Mngadi told MPLs that the province was drifting toward administrative collapse under Ntuli’s leadership, insisting that KwaZulu-Natal deserved stronger leadership.
During the debate, IFP Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi defended Premier Ntuli, framing the motion as a choice between stability and chaos. He accused the MK Party of misleading voters and argued that Ntuli had delivered tangible results since assuming office.
“But this is a choice between the rule of law and the rule of the jungle. Between putting the people first and leaving KwaZulu-Natal at the mercy of Duduzile Zuma and her associates,” Buthelezi said. “It is a choice between the steady hand of Ntuli and handing our province to thugs and thieves.”
The ANC reaffirmed its support for Ntuli. ANC MPL Mbali Frazer said the GPU was formed in accordance with the 2024 general election results, reflecting the electorate’s deliberate decision to encourage cooperation and place collective societal interests above narrow party politics.
“The Government of Provincial Unity is not an elite arrangement nor a political favour to anyone,” Frazer said.
The EFF, however, called the motion a reflection of the electorate’s clear mandate. EFF provincial leader Mongezi Twala said last year’s vote endorsed the MK Party as the leading political force in KZN and accused the GPU coalition of distorting that outcome.
“The democratic outcome was clear, and any attempt to distort it must be confronted. It is an insult to democracy for KwaZulu-Natal to be led by parties who together—IFP, DA, and ANC—cannot even form 45 percent of the MKP combined, not counting the NFP, which is now aligned with us,” Twala said.
The legislature’s debate continues as the province awaits the outcome of the no-confidence motion.