The National Freedom Party (NFP) has launched a scathing attack on KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), with its President, Ivan Barnes, announcing the party is reconsidering its participation due to profound concerns over corruption, maladministration, and a toxic culture of exclusion.
The announcement comes as the provincial legislature prepares to debate a motion of no confidence in Premier Thami Ntuli, tabled by the MK Party.
In a powerful media briefing, Barnes framed the party’s potential exit as a moral imperative, rooted in the compassionate and selfless principles of its founder, the late Zanele KaMagwaza-Msibi. He stated the party’s “conscience” does not allow it to be “complicit in lies and the destruction of this province.”
Barnes levied a series of grave allegations against the Premier and his administration, labelling it a “clinic of political illiterates” that treats the electorate “as if they are fools.” He cited a “dangerous perception” that the GPU has become a “government of corruption.”
Key concerns raised by Barnes included:
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Massive Irregular Expenditure: He pointed to the 2025 Treasury Report, highlighting a “staggering” R34.4 billion in irregular expenditure in the Department of Transport under MEC Sipho Duma, R24 billion in Health, and R5.7 billion in Education.
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Breakdown in Governance: Barnes accused Premier Ntuli of failing to convene meaningful forums for monitoring the GPU’s agreements. He also revealed the Department of Education has been placed under administration by Treasury MEC Francis Rogers for subverting procurement processes in school nutrition tenders.
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Politicization and Purges: He claimed “capable civil servants are leaving in droves” due to purges and victimization, and cited the “blatant violation” of the acting director general simultaneously serving as a supply chain director.
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GBV Scandal in Premier’s Office: Barnes broke his silence on a “shameful incident” involving the former Director General, Dr. Khethiwe Zulu, who was reportedly physically attacked by a former youth director in her office. He linked this to a failed investigation into the R100 million youth fund.
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Questionable Tenders: He supported claims by a DA spokesperson that companies linked to political figures, including one previously directed by ANC figure Sihle Zikalala, improperly benefited from tenders for special needs schools.
Barnes expressed solidarity with Democratic Alliance leader’s call for bilateral meetings, accusing Premier Ntuli and the ANC leadership of hiding “skeletons in the closet.”
“We are treated not as partners but as pawns. We are being abused in this relationship,” Barnes stated. “The National Freedom Party refuses to be judged in that light.”
Concluding his address, Barnes declared, “The National Freedom Party stands for the truth, accountability and the future of our children,” signaling a potential seismic shift in the province’s fragile coalition politics.