In South Africa, MK party leads polls ahead of eThekwini elections — Daily Maverick
In South Africa’s eThekwini municipality, the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, which Daily Maverick calls Jacob Zuma’s party, is leading in polls ahead of the local elections on November 4. According to Daily Maverick, the metro’s budget amounts to 70 billion rand and is exceeded only by the budgets of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Ekurhuleni.
An Ipsos poll showed MK support at 55%. The Democratic Alliance (DA) received 17%, the African National Congress (ANC) 10%, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) 6%, ActionSA 4%, and the EFF 3%.
At the same time, an August poll by the Social Research Foundation recorded different results: 33% for MK, 23% for DA, 18% for ANC and 16% for IFP. The publication notes that MK is predicted to dominate the metro, but it remains an open question whether the party will secure an absolute majority or whether its rivals will be able to form a coalition.
MK candidate
MK’s candidate for mayor is 35-year-old Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi, co-founder and CEO of the non-profit organization GirlCode, which provides technology education to women and girls. She holds an honours bachelor’s degree in computational and applied mathematics.
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Her campaign promises include ending water and electricity disruptions, eliminating sewage leaks, addressing the housing shortage and reclaiming illegally occupied buildings. She also promises to strengthen security for residents and businesses.
Proposals from rivals
DA candidate Haniff Hoosen, a member of parliament and former metro council member, promises to fight corruption in tenders, make the work of the authorities more transparent, bring in technical specialists to repair water pipelines and recover billions in unpaid debts. His program also includes repairing roads and street lighting, improving sanitation infrastructure and stopping sewage leaks on beaches.
The IFP candidate, Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, has not yet presented specific promises: the party plans to unveil its manifesto on September 20. ActionSA representative Zwakele Mncwango proposes restoring basic services and infrastructure, bringing the provision of key municipal services back under the city’s structure, reducing water losses and creating jobs.
EFF candidate Hlengiwe Mkhali promises to combat corruption, improve municipal infrastructure and access to housing, and support industrialization. The ANC has nominated five possible candidates for mayor: Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Maggie Govender, Thabani Nyawose, Mxolisi Lesoma and Cyril Xaba. In 2021, the ANC won 42% of the vote in eThekwini, while in the 2024 provincial elections MK received 45%, but did not become part of the government.
