By Simon Nare
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has extended its early lead in eThekwini to 41.75%, while the DA has narrowed the gap with the ANC to less than half a percentage point as counting continues following Wednesday’s local government elections.
According to the latest provisional election results available on Thursday, the ANC was in second place with 21.06% of the vote, narrowly ahead of the DA on 20.64%.
The IFP was fourth with 4.91%, followed by the SACP on 1.97%, the EFF on 1.49% and ActionSA on 0.96%.
The results showed that 29,379 votes had been recorded against a registered voter population of 2,032,565.
The results in eThekwini could take longer to finalise than other metros because of the length of the municipality’s ballot papers. IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said on Thursday that lengthy ballots across South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities were delaying counting and results capturing.
“The reality of the situation is that in all the metros, the ballots were quite long. The practical implication of that is that it takes longer to count. It will similarly take longer to capture,” Mamabolo said.
The MK Party’s early lead follows opinion polls that predicted a major political shift in KwaZulu-Natal’s largest municipality, which has historically been dominated by the ANC.
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An eNCA/MarkData survey published on 25 October projected that the MKP could secure 48% of the vote in eThekwini, followed by the DA on 25.2% and the ANC on 14.5%.
The emergence of the MKP, led by former president Jacob Zuma, has significantly altered the political landscape in KZN, where the ANC has faced growing competition for its traditional support base.
The ANC secured 42.14% of the vote in eThekwini in the 2021 municipal elections, losing its outright majority and becoming dependent on agreements with smaller political parties to retain control of the municipality.
The latest provisional results suggest that the party could face further electoral losses, although the limited number of votes counted means it is too early to determine the extent of any decline.
eThekwini, which had a population of 4,239,901 according to Census 2022, is one of South Africa’s largest metropolitan municipalities and has an approved budget of R75.3 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, including R6.3 billion in capital expenditure.
The municipality’s council is expected to increase from 222 to 223 seats following the addition of a new ward, meaning a party or coalition would require at least 112 seats to command a majority.
The municipality is currently led by ANC executive mayor Cyril Xaba, who replaced Mxolisi Kaunda in July 2024.
The ANC has governed through a minority administration dependent on political co-operation with other parties, including the EFF and NFP. The DA and IFP also have representation on the municipality’s executive committee.
The election comes against a backdrop of persistent service-delivery failures, particularly water shortages, deteriorating infrastructure and sanitation problems.
Non-revenue water remains one of the municipality’s most pressing financial and infrastructure challenges, with approximately 55% of the water entering its distribution system not generating revenue.
The losses, caused by factors including maintenance neglect, leaks, illegal connections, metering problems and other system inefficiencies, have placed additional pressure on municipal finances and the city’s ability to provide reliable water services.
Residents in several communities have experienced prolonged water interruptions, with some dependent on municipal water tankers, while sewer spills and wastewater treatment failures have raised environmental and public health concerns.
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