The NFP has suspended its secretary-general, Teddy Thwala, after he downplayed its president’s threats to collapse the KZN government of provincial unity (GPU).
The dismissal letter was sent to Thwala on Wednesday after he issued a statement on Monday telling NFP president Ivan Barnes not to involve the party in his personal battles.
IFP councillors had rejected Barnes’ plans to be mayor of the Zululand district municipality in exchange for the NFP vote in the GPU.
Thwala told Barnes that he was mistaken in thinking he was entitled to the role, since the NFP has only one seat in the legislature.
However the two competing coalitions are evenly matched, and the NFP has the swing vote in the province. If they were to leave the GPU, power could shift to the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party and the EFF.
There were reports days after the election that Barnes had been offered the premiership of KZN if he delivered the NFP to the MK-EFF coalition, and that he had turned the offer down.
However when Scrolla.Africa asked Barnes about the move, he denied the offer had been made. Instead, the NFP joined the coalition with the ANC, IFP and the DA.
On Wednesday, Barnes told Thwala in the suspension letter that he must remove himself from party activities because he was suspended from his position and as an NFP member.
Barnes reminded Thwala that the court order against him still has an outstanding cost. The NFP had instructed their lawyer to serve him with a notice of taxation of the bill that includes two senior counsels.
Barnes accused Thwala of unlawfully interfering with party political funding.
“We hereby give you a stern warning to desist from such unlawful conduct and stop any unauthorised public speaking or writing on behalf of the party,” the letter reads.
Thwala confirmed that he had received the letter and said his lawyers were dealing with it.
“The letter is dated 22 March 2024. He suspended me in March, and that suspension has lapsed because the party’s constitution states that a person should appear before the disciplinary committee within 90 days of his suspension, which failed to happen,” said Thwala.
He said his lawyers are preparing to file a lawsuit against Barnes over false allegations he made against him regarding party funding.
Pictured above: NFP secretary-general Teddy Thwala has been suspended after he dismissed the party president over threats to collapse the KZN government.
Source: X
