The National Freedom Party founder and Leader Zanele Ka-Magwaza-Msibi has died at age 59-years-old after being hospitalized at Umhlanga Hospital in Durban.

 The NFP was launched on 25 January 2011 prior to her move Msibi served in the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), having joined the party as a teenager in 1975, Magwaza-Msibi grew up within the IFP. She first served as branch chairperson in 1976. Thereafter, she joined the executive committee of the Youth and the Women's Brigade 13 years later (1988). This was followed by the deputy chairperson's position of the Youth Brigade (1998-2003) and later she became the national secretary of the Women's Brigade.

Prior to this, she had occupied several senior administrative positions in the local and town councils and played a leading role in numerous community projects. In 1995, she was the only woman on the executive board of the Nongoma Transitional Local Council. The following year (1996) she became chairperson of the Emakhosini sub-region, which comprised Ulundi and Babanango.