NFP KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Cynthia Mbali Shinga is considering an appeal after a Pietermaritzburg High Court ruling resulted in the party’s provincial legislature seat being declared vacant.

National Freedom Party (NFP) KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Mbali Shinga is considering an appeal after a Pietermaritzburg High Court judgment paved the way for her removal from the provincial legislature.

The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has since declared the NFP’s seat vacant and will facilitate the swearing-in of the next candidate on the party’s reviewed candidate list.

Shinga, the NFP’s provincial chairperson and leader in the legislature, said she respected the judgment but had been advised that legal remedies remained available.

“She has accordingly instructed her legal team to consider the judgment in its entirety and explore the option of an appeal within the applicable legal timeframe,” her spokesperson, Mlondolozi Shezi, said.

The Speaker of the KZN Legislature, Nontembeko Boyce, confirmed that she had acted in accordance with the court order.

“In compliance with this court order, please be advised that I declare the seat held by the NFP in the Legislature vacant. I will further be facilitating the swearing-in of the next candidate on the NFP's reviewed candidate list,” she said.

Boyce said the available dates for the swearing-in were September 22 or September 23 at Osizweni Community Hall in Newcastle Local Municipality, where the legislature is holding its “Taking the Legislature to the People” programme.

The legislature would cover the accommodation and transport costs of the candidate attending the swearing-in.

The ruling is the latest development in a long-running dispute between Shinga and the NFP over her membership and position in the provincial legislature.

Source: https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-09-16-mbali-shingas-kzn-legislature-seat-declared-vacant-after-high-court-ruling/