According to the Sunday Times, Mtshali's personal demeanour was "gruff, taciturn and unapproachable" and his leadership style "autocratic and imperial". Describing him in similar terms, the ANC caucus boycotted his first address to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature in 1999. In 2002, Mtshali unilaterally fired two ANC Members of the Executive Council, earning the ire of his coalition partner. He also decided unilaterally that all business of the KwaZulu-Natal government would be conducted in Ulundi, an IFP stronghold; the decision met strong resistance from the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA). There were also media reports about the extreme expense to taxpayers of Mtshali's commute from Durban to Ulundi.
