The recent removal of mayors affiliated with KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Thami Ntuli has raised questions about the party's internal dynamics ahead of a crucial elective conference in December. This move has increased internal tensions within the IFP. Officially, the IFP has said that these firings were caused by poor performance, but insiders say that the reasons for the firings were much more complicated.

A significant shift in the political landscape occurred last week when Petros Ngubane, mayor of the Umzinyathi district Municipality, was fired. Ngubane's removal has sparked discontent among Ntuli-aligned party members due to his steadfast support for Ntuli and affiliation with the "Konke Kuhamba kahle" (KKK) faction. Prince Ndabuko Zulu, a former mayor of the Amajuba district Municipality who was fired in December, is another Ntuli supporter who was also fired.

One of the Ntuli supporters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the two mayors’ removal had nothing to do with service delivery failures but were a deliberate strategy to neutralise Ntuli’s supporters ahead of the party’s elective conference, which is expected to be held in December. The member claimed that the strategy was to deprive pro-Ntuli mayors of the resources and political power that came with their positions, preventing them from funding Ntuli's campaign to oppose Hlabisa in the event that he changed his mind and accepted the floor nomination for party president. Ntuli has made it clear that he won't compete against Hlabisa at the conference. According to a different source, the president would not be content to lead the party with Ntuli's supporters in the top six, even if Ntuli does not challenge Hlabisa.

With only a year remaining until the elections for local government, "we do not see how removing them will change things." Why not keep them in their positions for the full four years before finally firing them? The member questioned, "What will the new mayor do now that there is no guarantee that they will return to this position after the elections for local government in 2026?" Ngubane said he would talk to the media after addressing the party's hierarchy on Monday about his removal, but he refused to discuss the matter. It is understood that a seat in the provincial legislature has been offered to him. The claim that there was a political decision to remove Ngubane was dismissed as something without substance by Mkhuleko Hlengwa, the party's national spokesperson.

I am unable to comprehend what they are saying. Ntuli has stated for some time that he is unavailable for any position at the upcoming conference, and the municipality has not had a clean audit in nine years. "Those who are uttering this need to have their heads examined, in my opinion. Hlengwa stated, "The party cannot entertain people talking in taverns."