The National Freedom Party (NFP) says its leader and founder Zanele KaMagwaza-Msibi will lead the party until the Indian Ocean runs dry. KaMagwaza-Msibi was re-elected as leader during the party’s elective conference last month at uLundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
KaMagwaza-Msibi suffered a stroke in 2014 but has since recovered. The party has also been faced with a number of challenges including infighting.
The NFP says it is working hard to address challenges of financial instability and factions within the party. The newly elected party leadership held its first media briefing in Durban since its elective conference last month.
The NFP was disqualified from contesting the 2016 Local Government Elections after it failed to pay its registration fee.
The party says it has now elected a finance committee that will assist the party in getting funding.
“Yes, we have to admit like any organisation we do have financial difficulties. We are working on it. We have already elected the financial committee that is looking at the strategy of trying to get money. Currently, we do have money from membership and we are also looking at discussing with the different business people and contributions from members we have in Parliament and the Legislature,” says NFP Treasurer General Phinda Skhosana.
The NFP says the party is also dealing with factions which are said to be rife in KwaZulu-Natal. The party’s Secretary-General Canaan Mdletshe says they are hoping that this issue will be resolved by March.
“Yes, we must admit that the NFP has issues with factions. We are aware that there are some comrades who were aggrieved after the conference. This is part of the faction that had been going on. You know that there have been cliques. We will engage them. There are some people who want the clique in power even though their time has lapsed in particular in KwaZulu-Natal.”
Mdletshe says the NFP is not fazed by its rival, the IFP, in regaining momentum in KwaZulu-Natal as the official opposition party. Mdletshe says they have faith in KaMagwaza-Msibi’s leadership.
“We still believe as the NFP members we didn’t have any other person who can lead this organisation after this stage except KaMagwaza- Msibi. It is why we are saying that she will lead until the Indian Ocean runs dry, until her last day on this earth. We will not talk about the IFP as much as we know that it remains the biggest opposition of the NFP in this province. But we are not focusing on other political parties, yes we are monitoring them.”
The NFP says it has strategic plans in place which will assist the party to perform well in 2021 Local Government Elections.
