NFP's Shinga fights party's disciplinary charges

KZN Social Development MEC says her removal will bring instability in provincial government

- THAMI MAGUBANE

KWAZULU-NATAL Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga, obtained an urgent court interdict to prevent her party from holding a disciplinary inquiry against her that was scheduled for this past weekend.

In her court application she expressed fears that the attempts to hold a disciplinary inquiry against her are a pretext to formalise grounds for her removal from her position in the KZN provincial legislature and, by extension, the provincial government.

She alleged that if this occurred, it will result in instability in the provincial executive of the province.

Shinga is the provincial chairperson of the National Freedom Party (NFP) and is an MEC under the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU).

She highlights concerns about the process of disciplining her, pointing to a letter dated June 26, which called her to a disciplinary inquiry and was signed by party president Ivan Barnes.

She argues that the party constitution does not grant Barnes the authority to take such action but instead assigns this role to a prosecutor appointed by party structures.

The Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled in her favour, deeming the holding of the disciplinary inquiry unlawful and barring it from being held on this past weekend or any other day pending the finalisation of a review application.

In the review application, Shinga seeks an order declaring the decision to institute disciplinary proceedings against her be reviewed and set aside.