THE uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has dealt a significant blow to the ANC's handle on power in KwaZulu-Natal, claiming two crucial wards in the province within the space of a month, and leaving the once-dominant ruling party with another bloody nose.
The MKP launched a spirited campaign to unseat the ANC in Ward 28 in KwaDukuza, and this paid off when the party won by claiming 62% of the vote during Wednesday's by-elections.
In contrast, the ANC saw its support plummet to 35%, this after having 78% of the vote during the 2021 local government elections.
The by-elections saw little support for the IFP and EFF, who claimed a mere 2% and 1%, respectively.
Doeshiee "Gaddafi" Govender, a former ANC councillor, who made headlines earlier this year when he abandoned the party in January and embraced the MKP, was re-elected as ward councillor.
This loss was poised to have serious implications for the ANC in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality's 59-seat council, which includes the prestigious Ballito suburb.
The ANC's defeat here, coupled with the MKP’s growing presence, signalled the shifting political landscape in the region.
Since its formation in December 2023, the MKP has rapidly made inroads, now governing three wards in KZN and one in the North West. With this latest win, the ANC's seats in the council will dwindle to 28, while the DA holds nine, ActionSA and the Independent Alliance stand at five seats each, and both the EFF and IFP have four. The AIC, ATM, ACDP, and MKP each hold one seat in the council.
The ANC was once the dominant force in KwaDukuza’s General Gizenga Mpanza region, but the party has been co-governing the city alongside the AIC and ATM.
Now the MKP has emerged as the new kid on the block.
The MKP's leadership, bolstered by former president Jacob Zuma, campaigned vigourously in Ward 28, with party stalwarts, Advocate Dali Mpofu, secretary-general Floyd Shivambu, and Deputy President John Hlophe leading the charge.
The ANC's response was to dispatch its own heavyweights, including National Executive Committee (NEC) member Senzo Mchunu and provincial convener Jeff Rabede, to win over voters and keep control of the ward. However, it was not to be.
Three weeks ago, the MKP defeated the ANC its heartland of Richmond, and in so doing, it improved its prospects for next LGE, in a province where it had earned 45% of the vote in the 2024 national elections.
Despite these setbacks, it was not all doom and gloom for the ANC. In Zululand, the party managed to reclaim a ward from the IFP in uPhongolo. The IFP now holds 14 of the 29 seats in the council and will need the DA's support to maintain control. Additionally, the ANC managed to hold its ground in the Vhembe district of Limpopo and the Chris Hani Municipality in the Eastern Cape, securing their wards in these regions.
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