By Celani Sikhakhane
The National Freedom Party (NFP) is embroiled in a fight over the list of candidates who will represent it in the provincial legislature and at the National Assembly after the May 29 general elections – if it wins any seats.
The fight started after the IEC published the lists of candidates for political parties.
NFP leaders in the Zululand district of KwaZulu-Natal, who spoke to Scrolla.Africa anonymously, said they are not happy that their names don’t appear at the top of the party’s list because the district would bring the most votes to the party.
“We are very angry that these leaders have decided to put our names at the bottom of the list while their districts, which do not even have proper branches, are topping the list.
“This is what we used to fight for in the IFP – and now in the NFP we are also fighting the same struggle,” said the leader.
Another Zululand District leader complained that the NFP leadership demonstrated racism when they put together the lists because Indian and coloured leaders were favoured over Africans.
NFP president Ivan Barnes said the leaders’ concerns were “very unreasonable”.
“Those leaders … should file their complaints to the administration officer of the NFP.
“This is where they will get their response over the issue of the list. Another thing, we followed all the party internal processes when we compiled the list for the IEC,” said Barnes.
He said the NFP will contest the elections in four provinces where people have shown an interest in the party – KZN, Gauteng, Free State and Mpumalanga.
Pictured above: NFP members fight over parliamentary list.
Image source: Supplied
