AbaThembu King Dalindyebo's wife, NCOP EFF member Mcinga, resigns

EFF National Council of Provinces (NCOP) member Nolubabalo Mcinga has left the EFF.

Mcinga, the sixth wife of abaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, confirmed to TimesLIVE that she resigned as an NCOP member on Monday, the same day she resigned from the party.

“I have resigned from the party and parliament. That's all I will confirm now. I'm not well,” she said. 

She resigned five months after being appointed an EFF NCOP member. 

In a message to parliament's public petitions and executive undertakings committee she said: “Dear chairperson and honourable members, it was truly a pleasure working with you. I deeply value the experience and time we shared. I wish you all the best in your continued work and leadership. I have resigned as a member of the EFF and also as a permanent delegate of the NCOP.”

Her resignation comes two weeks after former EFF chairperson Dali Mpofu left the party for Jacob Zuma's MK Party. Floyd Shivambu, Mzwanele Manyi and Busisiwe Mkhwebane also defected to the MK Party.

The resignations came before the party's elective conference in December. 

In June, Mcinga attended President Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration while the EFF leadership did not attend the event. 

In one of her social media posts, hours after her resignation, she said her community activism started before she became an EFF member.

“I’ve been building the movement and educating people about liberation long before the EFF,” she said.

“A diamond can never be covered; it will always outshine even if you cover it with big rocks. You may say you do not see me on the streets but the people know me, they saw me, they heard me and will never forget me. They know who I am and that is enough.”

The EFF has ties with the AbaThembu royal house. In 2021 the party gifted the king with a Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe SUV, worth about R1.8m.

The red berets also defended Dalindyebo after Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane initiated a criminal case against him, accusing him of benefiting from extortion syndicates.

TimesLIVE