Following the 2026 Local Government Elections in South Africa, 137 municipalities have been identified as hung councils, including 34 in KwaZulu-Natal, setting the stage for coalition negotiations. In eThekwini, the MK Party led with 38% support, followed by the DA at 25%, the ANC at 16%, and the IFP at 6%. Ratepayer associations have emphasised that any incoming coalition government must prioritise fiscal discipline, transparent financial management, and urgent service delivery improvements.
The MK Party and DA remain committed to clean administration and accountability, insisting that any coalition agreement must prioritise rooting out corruption, removing incompetent officials, and urgently fixing failing basic services such as water and sewage infrastructure. MK Party electoral task team KZN convener Willies Mchunu stated that they are open to discussions with all political parties prepared to speak to them, guided by their need to deliver services to their constituencies.
The DA, led by KZN leader Sithembiso Ngema, is also open to negotiations with any political party in eThekwini and other hung municipalities. Ngema stated that upon entering government in eThekwini, priorities will include tackling E. coli, sewage pollution, crime, hijacked buildings, and drugs to clean up the city. The party would deploy its governance team to audit, assess, and fix municipal problems.
The ANC maintained that current cross-party governance in council was already operating smoothly under established leadership. In contrast, the EFF and the IFP advocated for structured, written coalition agreements to ensure financial oversight, administrative meritocracy, and business stability. ActionSA also emphasised the need for written agreements to prevent service delivery delays caused by budget negotiations.
University of KwaZulu-Natal-based political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu noted similarities between recent local government and 2024 national elections, highlighting that while the MK Party won the most wards across KZN municipalities, the performances of the IFP and DA stood out. Ndlovu predicted that coalition formations in eThekwini and other municipalities will mirror the patterns seen in 2024, with the ANC and DA likely to work together to muscle out the MK Party.
The South African Communist Party (SACP), traditionally an ANC ally, contested elections for the first time, making its potential role in eThekwini coalition formations, alongside smaller parties, a key development to watch. According to IEC Results Dashboard, in KZN, 34 municipalities are hung, and 10 are controlled councils. The MK Party led with 34% support, followed by the IFP and the ANC with 20% each, and the DA with 14%.
As coalition negotiations begin, parties will need to balance their conditions for power-sharing with the need to deliver services to their constituencies. With the MK Party and DA unwavering on clean administration and accountability, and the ANC and DA likely to work together, the outcome of these negotiations will have significant implications for the future of eThekwini and other hung municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.
Key points
- The MK Party and DA are committed to clean administration and accountability in any coalition agreement.
- The ANC and DA are likely to work together in most municipalities to muscle out the MK Party.
- Coalition formations in eThekwini and other municipalities will mirror the patterns seen in the 2024 national elections.
