The National Freedom Party (NFP) leadership battle is expected to play out in the high court in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday.

The party now has two rival leadership structures, those formally elected, and the ad-hoc committee appointed by the party’s president Zanele KaMagwaza-Msibi.

In September last year it emerged that the respondents in the matter, including the party president, had submitted their heads of arguments late.

Some party leaders are challenging a letter, firing the party’s National Working Commission and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committee.

They are disputing that it was written by KaMagwaza-Msibi.

The NFP in-fighting has cost the party dearly. In 2011, the party had over 200 councillors across the country but after the 2016 local government elections it now has only one councillor, in the Nquthu Municipality.