NFP leadership battles sees party suspended from elections

The party's currently unable to take part in any elections after being suspended by the IEC.

The NFP has been mired in internal leadership squabbles.

In a statement sent to Newswatch, the IEC says it's written to the party urging them to choose one legitimate leader who will stand as its nominated candidate.

The commission has given the party a deadline of March.

The NFP's Canaan Mdletshe says the passing of founder Zanele Magwaza-Msibi in 2021 left a leadership vacuum.

"Some individuals or groupings started mushrooming claiming to be the leaders of the organisation. By doing so, they started writing to the IEC, giving some instructions to the IEC to do some of the things that were alien to the party." 

Mdletshe says they are planning to elect new leadership at a conference at the end of the year.

The Commission has also suspended funding to the party after it failed to provide its audited financial statements for the funds allocated to it by the IEC.

"That one issue is in fact giving us sleepless nights because we have a treasurer-general in the party, someone who is solely responsible for ensuring that each and every cent that we receive from the commission we have accounted for. 

“We are doing some internal investigations to establish what could be the reason why we did not do so. At the same time, we have appointed a new auditing firm that is with those issues, and we are hoping that they will be done soon and we will submit to the IEC."