The MK Party is currently leading in the preliminary results of the KwaZulu-Natal province, with 32.41% of the vote, followed by the African National Congress (ANC) with 24.58%, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) with 22.21%. This early lead has sparked discussions about potential coalition arrangements. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has ruled out working with the MK Party, citing pre-election commitments. Other parties are waiting for the final seat distribution before negotiating possible governing arrangements.
The DA's eThekwini mayoral candidate, Hannif Hoosen, expressed confidence that the party would increase its support despite the MK Party's lead. He stated that the DA had already recorded gains in several wards it had not previously won. Hoosen mentioned that parties would need approximately 113 seats to form a government in eThekwini. The DA will consider engaging other political parties once the final seat allocations become clearer.
MK Party provincial spokesperson Mkhusele Mlengan said the party was pleased with its performance across municipalities in the province. The party is hopeful of governing several municipalities without entering into coalition arrangements. Mlengan mentioned that the party had performed well in eThekwini, despite predictions that it would struggle in the municipality. The party will only consider coalition discussions if necessary, with national leadership guiding such engagements.
ActionSA's representative stated that the party had given attention to all wards in eThekwini and was waiting to see whether its campaign efforts would translate into votes. The representative received positive feedback about the party's support on social media but was cautious about predicting the final outcome. The representative stressed that the outcome of the election should be respected, regardless of whether the MK Party secures an outright majority.
Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden urged caution, stating that it was too early to draw conclusions while counting was continuing. The party had contested in 25 municipalities, compared to approximately 10 to 11 in previous elections. Van Staden mentioned that the party had secured one proportional representation councillor at the time of the interview. The party is willing to work with any political organization that shares its objective of improving residents' lives.
Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu warned that small political parties and independent candidates could play a decisive role in determining who governs eThekwini and other major municipalities. Ndlovu stated that smaller parties and independent candidates could become kingmakers in coalition negotiations should the leading parties fail to secure enough support to govern alone. He mentioned that coalitions were likely to remain a permanent feature of South Africa's political landscape.
Ndlovu questioned the ideological foundations underpinning many of the country's coalition arrangements. He stated that coalitions are formed by parties with different ideologies, and negotiations are often based on a give-and-take approach. The final results are expected to provide a clearer picture of the political landscape in KwaZulu-Natal and the coalition negotiations that may follow.
Key points
- The MK Party leads in preliminary KwaZulu-Natal results with 32.41% of the vote.
- The DA has ruled out working with the MK Party, citing pre-election commitments.
- Small political parties and independent candidates may play a decisive role in determining who governs eThekwini and other major municipalities.
