The DA in KwaZulu-Natal will meet the NFP leadership to discuss the future of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) this weekend.
Following the withdrawal of the NFP from the government three weeks ago, there has been uncertainty and questions about whether the GPU would see its term through in 2029.
After the withdrawal, the NFP was bombarded with requests for meetings from the GPU parties reaching out to the Ivan Barnes-led national executive committee for discussions.
The DA provincial chairperson, Dean Macpherson, confirmed on Tuesday that his delegation would meet the NFP on Saturday.
The meeting will take place in one of the hotels in Umhlanga, north of Durban, and is expected to find solutions to keep the NFP in the GPU.
Macpherson refused to discuss the details of their meeting except to say his party wants to listen to the NFP’s concerns first, then take it from there.
“We are going to listen to them and find out how we can find each other,” he said.
Attempts to get the NFP acting Secretary-General, Sunset Xaba, to confirm the meeting were unsuccessful.
The NFP met the ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) last week. It was reported that the NFP raised concerns that its president was supposed to be looked after by the GPU as the leader of the kingmaker, which the ANC agreed with and promised to consider.
This was, however, denied by the NFP, which described it as misleading information. In a statement issued by the party, it said it would remain outside the GPU until its disciplinary processes against its sole legislature member, Mbali Shinga, are completed.
She is undergoing a disciplinary hearing after she openly defied the party’s directive to support the MKP-sponsored motion of no confidence against Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli last month.
After meeting with the DA, the NFP is expected to meet the IFP, which has also requested a meeting.
The NFP is blaming the IFP for reneging on the earlier agreement to hand over the Zululand District Municipality as a top-up to one ministry; however, the IFP denied the agreement, saying that although the matter was raised during the talks, there was no agreement.
