LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: Meet the candidates: eThekwini
Polls indicate the MK party is on track to win a majority in eThekwini in the 4 November elections, which would give Jacob Zuma’s party its first metro. Meet the MK party candidate and her rivals vying for power.
In the upcoming 2026 local elections in eThekwini, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is predicted to maintain its stronghold, potentially leading to a majority under the MK party. The latest Ipsos poll reveals that MK leads with 55% support, closely followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) at 17%, the ANC at 10%, the IFP at 6%, ActionSA at 4%, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) at 3%.
The MK party has chosen Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi, a 35-year-old BSc Honours in Computational and Applied Mathematics graduate and CEO of GirlCode, a tech education non-profit for women and girls, as its mayoral candidate. Her campaign promises entail resolving water shortages, tackling the housing crisis, and increasing safety within the municipality.
The DA candidate, Haniff Hoosen, is a prominent MP with 17 years of experience on the metro council. His pledges involve combating corruption, promoting transparency, fixing water issues, repairing potholes, and enhancing sanitation infrastructure.
The IFP, led by deputy minister of transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, has not specified any particular promises, but Hlengwa emphasized the significance of the metro's impact on KwaZulu-Natal's economy.
ActionSA's candidate, Zwakele Mncwango, is a former DA leader and KZN premier candidate. He aims to restore service delivery, build political stability, and create jobs.
The Economic Freedom Fighters' candidate, Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi, emphasizes rooting out corruption, improving infrastructure, and focusing on grassroots development. She also pledges to encourage women to take up prominent leadership roles within local government.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
