Durban - Having been out of the public eye since falling ill four months ago, National Freedom Party leader Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi released a statement on Wednesday expressing her shock at the resignation of the party’s treasurer-general.
KaMagwaza-Msibi has not been involved in party activities since she collapsed in her Ladysmith home in November. She has also been absent from her cabinet post of deputy minister of science and technology.
However, the resignation of NFP treasurer-general Helen Vice on Wednesday prompted KaMagwaza-Msibi to issue a statement expressing shock at the latest setback.
“The news has come as an absolute shock to me. I have not received a formal resignation letter, so for now I regard the reports as nothing but hearsay.”
NFP leaders had recently revealed that KaMagwaza-Msibi’s husband, Mandla Msibi, had prevented them from communicating with the party leader since she had fallen ill, been admitted to hospital and discharged back to her family home.
“She has been nothing but a loyal member and a trusted leader of our organisation,” KaMagwaza-Msibi said of Vice. “She had been trusted with the party’s finances and not a single cent was inappropriately used or mysteriously disappeared from the party coffers.
“I intend engaging her in the near future and hopefully, we will be able to find common ground,” she said.
Vice’s voice trembled as she told journalists how senior leaders had frustrated her in her work.
Vice, who was also chairwoman of the party’s deployment committee, said she would remain a card-carrying member of the party.
She also said powers to control party funds had been taken away from her. She said party deputy president and MP Maliyakhe Shelembe and provincial chairman and MPL Vikizitha Mlontshwa had hijacked her duties.
“My resignation has been a long time coming. I have submitted it at least twice before, but somehow remained because of my loyalty to the president (KaMagwaza-Msibi).
“This time my health has taken a severe knock and it is affecting my family.”
The four-year-old party suffered late last month when its provincial deputy chairman, Mziwamandla Mzobe, and provincial deputy secretary, Nyamezela Dlamini, resigned.
Vice said she realised there was a conspiracy against her when she learnt about an instruction to staff members not to trust her.
The Mercury