Analyst believes NFP departure from GPU exposes fragile power balance in KZN

Political analyst Professor Susan Booysen says the National Freedom Party’s decision to withdraw from KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity highlights a deepening power struggle in the provincial legislature.

Despite holding just one seat, the NFP has positioned itself as a kingmaker in a finely balanced legislature, giving it leverage far beyond its electoral support.

Booysen argues the party’s move is less about governance and more about political survival ahead of local government elections.

"It is a party that's battling for survival. It has been going down, down, down, election after election. But now, in a run-up to the local government elections, at the site where it still has a chance to prove itself, it has this opportunity to propel itself into the limelight and to get much more exposure than any election campaign could ever muster. This is a grand time for the NFP, and for a minuscule party to have this type of leverage over the composition and direction of a provincial government is a phenomenal situation."

According to Booysen, theongoing instability risks paralysing decision-making and slowing service delivery across the province.

With repeated motions of no confidence possible and uncertainty over voting procedures in a split legislature, she warns that KwaZulu-Natal could face prolonged political stalemate, fresh elections, or even national intervention if governance collapses.

To listen to Booysen in conversation with 702's Ray White, use the audio player below: