By Thapelo Molefe
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has appointed former eThekwini mayor and ANC regional leader Zandile Gumede as its KwaZulu-Natal deputy convenor, bringing one of the province’s most recognisable political figures into its leadership ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The appointment was announced by MK Party Secretary-General Sibonelo Nomvalo during a media briefing on Monday, where Gumede was introduced alongside 13 other new members.
“Today, we wish to announce to South Africans, to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, to the membership of the MK Party, that we are officially announcing uMama uZandile Gumede as the deputy convenor of KZN,” Nomvalo said.
“We welcome you, uMama. We’re giving you a very warm reception because you have unquestionable credentials in the politics of KwaZulu-Natal and in the politics of South Africa.”
Nomvalo said the MK Party continued to attract new members while other political parties were losing support.
“In the MK Party, we’re always welcoming new members every day. We’re welcoming new members because this is the only alternative voice of the left. This is the only remaining voice of the voiceless here in South Africa,” he said.
He said Gumede’s experience would strengthen the party.
“We know that you are coming with a very positive paradigm shift. You are coming with a very positive contribution in the MK Party. Let’s join our hands together in building the strong ship of the left.”
Asked why she had joined the MK Party, Gumede did not explain her decision, instead thanking the party leadership for the warm welcome.
Her appointment comes while she and 21 co-accused remain on trial in the Durban High Court over the R320 million Durban Solid Waste tender. They face charges including fraud, corruption, conspiracy to commit corruption, money laundering, racketeering, and contraventions of the Municipal Finance Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act.
Gumede has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is out on R50,000 bail.
She was removed as eThekwini mayor in 2019 following her arrest in connection with the tender. Despite the pending criminal case, she was elected ANC eThekwini regional chairperson in 2022, although the party’s step-aside rule prevented her from exercising the powers of the office.
Her influence within the ANC ended when the party disbanded the eThekwini Regional Executive Committee in June 2025 and excluded her from the interim task team that replaced it.
A long-time ally of former president Jacob Zuma, Gumede said ahead of the 2024 general elections that she remained loyal to the ANC despite being left off the party’s candidate lists.
“I am a loyal party member and have not been found guilty. I am waiting for my day in court to clear my name,” she told IOL at the time.
Her appointment gives the MK Party a high-profile political figure in eThekwini as it prepares for the 2026 local government elections.
The party made significant gains in KwaZulu-Natal during the 2024 general elections, largely at the ANC’s expense.
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