MK leads early KZN count, with one major test still to come
DURBAN — The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has taken an early lead in KwaZulu-Natal’s municipal election results, but figures from eThekwini were still outstanding on Thursday morning. The absence of the province’s only metro left a major part of the electoral picture unresolved as results arrived mainly from smaller, rural municipalities.
By 9am, MK had secured 11 ward seats, according to Eyewitness News, marking an encouraging start to its first nationwide local government election campaign. Those ward victories did not establish control of entire councils, with counting and verification still at an early stage.
Reported results displayed at the provincial results centre put MK on 32.60%, followed by the ANC on 24.38%, the IFP on 21.84% and the DA on 12.02%. Provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said 18% of results had been captured and 12% audited, with only audited figures appearing on the results board.
MK provincial spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlengane attributed the party’s early performance to dissatisfaction among voters and demand for change. He told reporters that residents wanted a party responsive to their needs, arguing that MK had carried its support from the 2024 elections into the municipal contest.
The party won 45.35% of KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial vote in 2024 but remained outside government after the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP formed a governing coalition. That experience underlines why finishing first does not necessarily translate into governing power when a party falls short of a majority.
EThekwini is a particularly significant contest because the ANC won 42% there in 2021 and subsequently governed with smaller parties. Its eventual council composition will determine whether MK’s early provincial momentum produces a route into metropolitan government.
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