South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Government Loses Key Ally

A major political party has suddenly quit South Africa's provincial unity government in KwaZulu-Natal. The National Freedom Party (NFP) announced its immediate withdrawal on Monday. The decision followed a meeting of its top leadership, the National Executive Committee (NEC). The NFP also ordered its representative in the government, Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga, to resign. This came after Shinga refused to follow the party's instruction. The instruction was to support a no-confidence vote against the provincial premier. The motion was brought by former President Jacob Zuma's new party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK Party). The NFP's exit creates instability in the coalition, known as the Government of Provincial Unity. The alliance was formed after no single party won a majority in recent elections.