MK Party Wins Most Seats in eThekwini Municipality

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party emerged as the largest political organization in the eThekwini Municipality during recent local government elections, securing 38% of the vote and 86 council seats. Despite the victory, the party lacks the 113 seats required for an absolute majority and faces a potential block from other parties similar to the current coalition structure in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government.

Party leadership has alleged the election was rigged, citing stagnated numbers and technical failures. First Deputy President Duduzane Zuma noted that the party observed numbers that remained stagnated for a long period, which did not make sense to the organization.

To avoid being locked out of government as happened after the 2024 general elections, the party has decided to prioritize coalition negotiations over legal disputes. Mayoral candidate Mxolisi Phakathi stated that the party must work for its people and will enter government, fixing discrepancies with the Electoral Commission of South Africa later. The party has appointed a seven-member negotiations team to seek alliances with progressive formations and other black parties.