National Freedom Party - Misplaced Pages

Political party in South Africa For the defunct party in Trinidad and Tobago, see National Freedom Party (Trinidad and Tobago).

National Freedom Party

Abbreviation	NFP
Leader	Ivan Rowan Barnes
Secretary-General	Teddy Thwala
Founder	Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi
Founded	25 January 2011 (2011-01-25)
Split from	Inkatha Freedom Party
Ideology	Social democracy Egalitarianism
Political position	Centre-left
Colours	Orange Green
National Assembly seats	0 / 400
NCOP seats	0 / 90
Provincial Legislatures	1 / 430
Politics of South Africa Political parties Elections

The National Freedom Party (NFP) is a South African political party. It was launched on 25 January 2011 by Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi, former chairperson of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), along with other former IFP members. Similar to the IFP, the party's main base is in KwaZulu-Natal.

History

In the 2011 municipal election, the NFP received 2.4% of the votes cast in South Africa, and 10.4% of the votes cast in KwaZulu-Natal province. It won a majority of seats in the eDumbe Local Municipality and a plurality in Nongoma Local Municipality. Following the 2014 South African general election, the party's leader Magwaza-Msibi was appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Science and Technology. The party was disqualified from participating in the 2016 municipal election as it had failed to pay the election fee to the Independent Electoral Commission.

The party contested the 2019 general elections and its support levels dropped. The party lost four seats in the National Assembly, bringing their seat total to only two seats. In KwaZulu-Natal, the party's support was greatly diminished. The party had lost five seats in the provincial legislature, but managed to win a single seat, occupied by the party's National Organizer, Cynthia Mbali Shinga. Magwaza-Msibi was not reappointed to the cabinet and resigned as an MP on 20 June 2019, citing her intention to rebuild the party.

On 6 September 2021, shortly before the 2021 South African municipal elections, Magwaza-Msibi died from a COVID-19-related cardiac arrest.

The party won 170,616 votes, 0.56% of the national total, in the elections, winning back one municipality it formerly ran in 2011 to 2016, the eDumbe Local Municipality.

A party conference elected Ivan Rowan Barnes as president and Teddy Thwala as secretary-general in December 2023. The election was disputed by former secretary-general Canaan Mdletshe.

Before the 2024 South African general election Thwala and Barnes fell out. Thwala tried to stop the submission of the electoral lists to the Independent Electoral Commission in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, but failed.

Election results

National Assembly elections


Election	Party leader	Total votes	Share of vote	Seats	+/–	Government
2014	Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi	288,742	1.57%	6 / 400	New	Opposition
2019	Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi	61,220	0.35%	2 / 400	4	Opposition
2024	Ivan Rowan Barnes	19,397	0.12%	0 / 400	2	Extra-parliamentary

From 2024, seats in the National Assembly are determined by a combination of the national ballot, and the nine regional ballots. Only the national ballot figures are shown here.

Provincial elections


Election	Eastern Cape		Free State		Gauteng		Kwazulu-Natal		Limpopo		Mpumalanga		North-West		Northern Cape		Western Cape
Election	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats	%	Seats
2014	0.16	0/63	0.11	0/30	0.47	0/73	7.31	6/80	0.04	0/49	0.75	0/30	0.15	0/33	0.03	0/30	0.04	0/42
2019	0.03	0/63	0.03	0/30	0.07	0/73	1.57	1/80	0.01	0/49	0.12	0/30	0.06	0/33	0.04	0/30	0.11	0/42
2024			0.03	0/30	0.03	0/80	0.56	1/80			0.04	0/51

Municipal elections


Election	Votes	%
2011	644,917	2.4%
2016	5,224	0.01%
2021	170,616	0.56%

Breakaway parties

A number of small parties have broken away from the NFP, including the Abantu Batho Congress, the African People's Movement, formed by former chairperson Vikizitha Mlotshwa, and the National People's Front, formed by former national deputy chairperson Bheki Gumbi.

Former NFP member of parliament Munzoor Shaik Emam joined the Allied Movement for Change and took over as party leader.

References

@NFP_Updates (17 December 2023). "The Elected NEC of the NFP led by the President Ivan Rowan Barnes" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
"Magwaza-Msibi launches National Freedom Party". The New Age. 26 January 2011.
"Results Summary - All Ballots: All Provinces" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
"Results Summary - All Ballots: KwaZulu-Natal" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
"Parliament of the Republic of South Africa - Parliament of South Africa".
Mthetwa, Bongani (21 July 2016). "NFP in last-ditch court bid to contest local government elections". Business Day Live. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
"NFP admits defeat, but 'humbled' by continued support". The Citizen. 9 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
^ Mkhwanazi, Siyabonga (21 June 2019). "Magwaza-Msibi to focus on 'building NFP', as she resigns as MP". The Citizen. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
"National Freedom Party leader Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi dies". News24. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
"NFP leadership squabbles continue". SABC. 18 December 2023.
"NFP factions in unity talks, but Barnes Thwala at odds". IOL. 2 April 2024.
"2014 National and Provincial Elections Results - 2014 National and Provincial Election Results". IEC. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
"Results Dashboard". www.elections.org.za. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
"Results Summary - All Ballots" (PDF). elections.org.za. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
"Results Summary - All Ballots" (PDF). elections.org.za. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
"Upcoming municipal elections sees an increase of small parties". connectradio.co.za. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
Makhafola, Gertrude (20 April 2024). "NFP dispels tribalism, calls for unity 'guided by the spirit of Sankara'". The Citizen.

Political parties in South Africa

National Assembly
(with number of seats held)

National Council of Provinces
(with number of seats held)

Other parties

Communist and socialist	African Content Movement Azanian People's Organisation Bolsheviks Party of South Africa National People's Ambassadors Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party South African Communist Party Workers International Vanguard Party Workers and Socialist Party United Congress
Social democratic	African Congress of Democrats African Democratic Change Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats Agang South Africa Congress of the People National Freedom Party Power of Africans Unity
Pan-Africanist	African People's Convention Abantu Batho Congress Black First Land First Pan Africanist Congress Pan Africanist Movement
Minority rights	Africa Muslim Party Cape Muslim Congress Compatriots of South Africa Minority Front National Coloured Congress
Liberal and libertarian	Capitalist Party of South Africa Democratic Liberal Congress Free Democrats
Agrarian	Civic Warriors of Maruleng Land Party
Christian	#Hope4SA Christian Democratic Party Christian Political Movement Economic Emancipation Forum Kingdom Governance Movement United Christian Democratic Party Uniting People First
Environmentalist	ECOPEACE Party Green Party
Single issue	African Security Congress All Things Are Possible Alliance for Transformation for All Dagga Party Forum for Service Delivery New South Africa Party Operation Dudula Referendum Party South African Maintenance and Estate Beneficiaries Association Women Forward
Local issues and regionalist	Better Residents Association Cape Independence Party Dabalorivhuwa Patriotic Front Gazankulu Liberation Congress Karoo Gemeenskap Party MAP16 Civic Movement Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners Sterkspruit Civic Association
Conservative	African Covenant African Independent Congress International Revelation Congress National Party South Africa
Afrikaner nationalist	Afrikaner Self-determination Party Boerestaat Party Herstigte Nasionale Party National Conservative Party of South Africa
African traditionalist	African Mantungwa Community African Renaissance Unity Party Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa National People's Front National Religious Freedom Party South African National Congress of Traditional Authorities
Uncategorised	African Change Academy African Congress for Transformation African People's Movement Alliance of Citizens for Change Democratic Independent Party Good Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa The Peoples Independent Civic Organisation People's Movement for Change South African Political Party South African Rainbow Alliance Spectrum National Party Team Sugar South Africa United Independent Movement Xiluva Ximoko Party

Defunct parties

Communist	Socialist Party of Azania Workers Party of South Africa
Socialist and social democratic	Labour Party (1910) Labour Party (1969) New Labour Party United Independent Front
Liberal and progressive	Democratic Party (1989) Democratic Party (1973) Democratic Progressive Party Democratic Reform Party Dominion Party Federal Alliance Independent Democrats Independent Party Liberal Party of South Africa Progressive Federal Party Progressive Party (1890) Progressive Party (1959) Progressive Reform Party Reform Party South African Business Party South African Democratic Congress South African Party (1896) South African Party (1910) Union Federal Party Unionist Party
Conservative	Christian Democratic Alliance Christian Front Christen Party/Christian Party Federation of Democrats Herenigde Nasionale Party Het Volk National Conservative Party National People's Party (1981) National Union New National Party New Republic Party Solidarity South African Party (1977) United Party
Afrikaner nationalist	Afrikaner Bond Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging Afrikaner Party Afrikaner Volksfront Conservative Party Front National National Action National Party Orangia Unie Purified National Party South African Gentile National Socialist Movement Volksparty
Miscellaneous	Abolition of Income Tax and Usury Party Ciskei National Independence Party Keep It Straight and Simple Party Khoisan Aboriginal and Others Movement National Alliance National Democratic Convention National People's Party Peace and Justice Congress Pro-death Penalty Party Transkei National Independence Party Ubuntu Party Universal Party

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