MK Party member calls Shinga a ‘hooligan’ on International Women’s Day

By Celani Sikhakhane

• MK Party’s Dudu Nzama attacked National Freedom Party legislator Mbali Shinga at a Women’s Day debate in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature.

• KwaZulu-Natal legislature speaker Nontembeko Boyce ordered Nzama to withdraw her statement, saying calling Shinga a hooligan was a personal attack.

MK Party member Dudu Nzama attacked National Freedom Party (NFP) legislator Mbali Shinga during the KwaZulu-Natal legislature’s International Women’s Day debate in Pietermaritzburg.

Nzama used her speech to praise the late NFP founder Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi before turning on current NFP members.

“Unfortunately she left children who are hooligans and destroyed her party. One of those kids is honourable Mbali Shinga,” Nzama said. She said NFP president Ivan Barnes was working to revive kaMagwaza-Msibi’s legacy.

KwaZulu-Natal legislature speaker Nontembeko Boyce stopped Nzama and asked her to withdraw the statement, saying it cast aspersions on Shinga’s character.

Nzama tried to withdraw only the word “hooliganism” but Boyce made her withdraw the full statement unconditionally.

Boyce also raised concern that the fight between women in the House was being driven by men.

The MK Party’s attack on Shinga came after she refused to vote with them on a vote of no confidence to remove KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli on 15 December 2025.

Shinga accused the MK Party of double standards for attacking her on International Women’s Day.

“When we rise and honour the legacy of kaMagwaza-Msibi, we then reduce it to personal attack and name calling … it actually diminishes it,” she said.

“I won’t be bullied by those who have never even seen the inauguration of their first branch,” Shinga said.

She said the MK Party rejected a call to put up a statue of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi and instead pushed for one of his mothers, Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu. But when it came to the NFP, they backed Ivan Barnes over her. “These are double standards,” she said.

Pictured above: KwaZulu-Natal legislature speaker Nontembeko Boyce at the International Women’s Day debate in Pietermaritzburg.

Image source: KZN Legislature