Parties draw red lines as eThekwini coalition talks loom

After the November 4 local government elections, which left 34 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal undecided, including eThekwini Metro, political leaders are considering coalition negotiations while setting strict conditions for sharing power. Ratepayer groups in eThekwini have stressed that any future coalition government must focus on fiscal responsibility, transparent finances, and better service delivery over political survival.

Parties such as ActionSA, the EFF, and the IFP have called for written coalition agreements to ensure financial oversight and stability. The DA favors an outright majority to avoid service delivery delays from budget negotiations, while the MK Party emphasizes ethical leadership, and the ANC believes the current cross-party governance is working well.

According to election results, the MK Party received 34% support, followed by the IFP and ANC with 20% each, and the DA with 14%. In eThekwini, the MK Party garnered 38%, followed by the DA at 25%, the ANC at 16%, and the IFP at 6%. Both the MK Party and DA remain committed to clean administration, corruption eradication, and fixing essential services like water and sewage infrastructure.

The MK Party's leader, Willies Mchunu, is ready to discuss coalition talks with any party willing to engage. They are guided by the need to deliver services to black communities. Mchunu wants to tackle administration, infrastructure, and economic development first. The DA's leader, Sithembiso Ngema, is also open to negotiations and aims to address issues like E. coli, sewage pollution, crime, and corruption.

He vowed to provide reliable tap water and hold corrupt officials accountable. Analyst Zakhele Ndlovu predicts that coalition formations in eThekwini may resemble those in 2024, with the ANC, DA, and IFP working together while smaller parties like ActionSA partner with them.