MK party wins KZN ward but falls short in other contests, dominant DA paints polls blue

uMkhonto WeSizwe took a ward off the ANC in the Ray Nkonyeni municipality on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal but was unable to build on its strong May showing in some areas. The DA had big wins in the five wards it was defending while the IFP made gains in an Nkandla ward. The ANC retained two wards in areas where it lost much ground in the national elections. By-elections were also held in wards in Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West this week. Watch out for our accompanying reports.

Ugu District

Ward 14 (KwaMadlala Louisiana) Ray Nkonyeni, Ugu: MK 51%  ANC 39% (76%) IFP 8% (6%) AIC 3% (0%)

The setting: The bulk of the vast Ward 14 sits above the N2 national road, which separates the ward from the seat of power in Ray Nkonyeni-Port Shepstone. It is an inland ward above the South Coast. It includes a chunk of the KwaMadlala and the farming area of Louisiana. 

The 2021 local government elections: The ANC won here by a landslide, bagging more than three-quarters of the ward vote. The EFF was the only other party to get double figures, obtaining 12%. 

The ANC lost 10 seats in Ray Nkonyeni in the local government elections, falling from 47 to 37. The DA remained steady on 14. The ANC lost seats to the IFP and the EFF. The IFP grew from five seats to eight and the EFF surged from two to seven. A range of other parties with one seat each filled the rest of the 71-seat chamber.

The 2024 Provincial Elections: MK and the ANC duked it out here, with MK coming out tops on 44% and the ANC second on 41%. The IFP were third on 5% and the EFF fourth on 4%. 

The MK party won three of the four voting districts, including Sozabe High School in KwaMadlala, and two of the sparsely populated voting districts. MK won an eye-catching 60% of the vote at Sozabe High School. The ANC won the Louisiana voting district with 70%. This was not enough to close the gap and overtake MK for first place. 

The by-election: Ward councillor Sabelo Malunga, a relative of Jacob Zuma, resigned as councillor just before the national elections in May and defected to MK. Malunga was not the candidate for the MK in this by-election. The EFF sat out this by-election after finishing second here in 2021. 

MK was able to get its third ward councillor elected since the party’s formation in December 2023. It beat the ANC by 340 votes after both parties shared the four voting districts. MK got its voters out in its strongholds while the ANC enthusiasm was more subdued. Turnout was 61% at the vote-rich Sozabe High School. MK won 61% of the vote, up slightly from May.

In Louisiana, only 41% of registered voters showed up. The ANC saw its vote share slip from 70% to 52%. The party was able to take the Maris Stella Mission voting district off MK, but this station had a low turnout and has few voters. 

The ANC now has a majority of one in the 71-seat council as it fell from 37 seats to 36. MK joins a bevy of other parties which won a single seat.

Poll: 52% (48%)

Ward 24 (Nyandezulu Bhomela) Ray Nkonyeni, Ugu: ANC 38% (57%) MK 33% IFP 29% (39%)

The setting: The ward is north of Shelly Beach. It comprises the villages of Nyandezulu and Bhomela. A landmark is the Nyandezulu Waterfall. The area is very important to the Shembe Church because this is where the holy Mdlungwana Mountains are. Shelly Beach sits between Port Shepstone and St Michael’s-on-Sea.

The March 2023 local government elections: The IFP made big inroads here as it gave the ANC a fright and also cut the EFF down to size. The ANC again did best at the Nyandezulu Lower Primary School, the most-populous district in the ward, where it won 72% of the vote, down from 81% in 2021. The ANC and IFP won half of the voting districts each. In 2021, the ANC swept them all. The IFP was able to win the second-most-populous district, Makhanda High School. 

The IFP finished well ahead of the EFF in second place, after finishing just behind them in 2021. The EFF lost more than 75% of its percentage support in the ward as it fell from 17% to 4%. 

The 2024 provincial elections: The MK party won more than half the vote here with a 53% return. The ANC finished second with 26% and the IFP in third on 16%. The EFF was a distant fourth with 4%. 

MK won all the voting districts, scooping 59% at Nyandezulu Lower Primary School, with the ANC only managing 26%. This is the district where the ANC won 81% in 2021. 

The by-election: The ward councillor died after a long illness, having only been in the position for 14 months. The ANC saw the names of MK and the IFP on the ballot. 

The ANC came out tops in a three-way fight. The party only won one of the five voting districts but was still able to hold the ward by a 178-vote margin over MK. MK and the IFP took two voting districts each.  

Both the ANC and the IFP improved on their showing here in May, but lost ground compared with the 2023 by-election. 

Nyandezulu Primary School was critical for the ANC. This is the voting district where most people are registered. It also had the highest turnout in the by-election. It was the only district carried by the ANC (56%). MK won this district by a country mile in May. 

MK will be concerned that it has lost key ground here since May. Ward 24 should have been an easier ward for them to win. 

Poll: 53% (57%)

Ward 15 (Scottburgh) uMdoni, Ugu: DA 98% (89%) ANC 2% (5%)

The setting: Scottburgh is the seat of uMdoni on the South Coast. It sits between Park Rynie and Durban. It also includes the sugarcane town of uMzinto.

The 2021 local government election: The DA came close to winning 90% of the vote. The ANC came second with 5%.

The 2024 provincial elections: The DA won 84% and MK beat the ANC for second place with 5%. The ANC saw 3% of voters give it support.

The 2024 by-election: Shara Singh, the ward councillor, won election to Parliament. Only the DA and the ANC contested this safe DA seat.

The DA won 98% of the vote in the one district and 99% in the other district. The party painted Scottburgh blue in this by-election. 

Poll: 46% (62%)

uMgungundlovu District

Ward 4 (Rietvlei Middelrus) Mpofana: ANC 49% (68%) IFP 31% (18%) MK 19% NFP 1% (1%)

The setting: Mpofana Municipality is centred on the town of Mooi River. Ward 4 is a rural ward on the road that links Mooi River and Greytown. It covers many farms and rural settlements. Most voters are in Rietvlei and Middelrus. 

uMgungundlovu is the most vote-rich area in the province after eThekwini. Its seat of power is Pietermaritzburg. It also includes Wartburg and Howick.

The 2021 local government elections: The ANC won more than two-thirds of the vote and cleaned up all the voting districts. The IFP was the only other party to get into double percentage digits, with the Abantu Batho Congress (ANC) third with 7% and the EFF fourth with 4%.

The 2024 provincial elections: MK won half of the vote in this ward and six of the nine districts. The ANC was second with 26%. The ANC won a single district, the Tauricus School in Rietvlei, which is the most vote-rich district in the ward. The IFP came third in the ward with 18%. It carried two districts, including the Doornkloof School district at Middelrus, the second-most-populous district in the ward. 

The by-election: The ward councillor, Ernest Majola, defected from the ANC to MK. MK aimed to replicate its strong showing here in May. 

Majola will not be finishing this term as councillor in MK colours. The ANC won just under half the vote in the ward. It retained the ward and carried six of the nine districts, after winning only one in May. The IFP won three districts, one more than in May. MK, which won six districts in May, did not manage one in the by-election. 

The ANC will be delighted that it denied MK the opportunity to make an incision on a local level in a traditional ANC stronghold in the Midlands region. The IFP will also be happy with its growth in this ward. MK will be wondering how it fell from 50% to 19% in such a short time. 

Poll: 54% (51%)

King Cetshwayo District

IFP holds Ward 4 (Ngwegweni Thalaneni) Nkandla, King Cetshwayo IFP 54% (48%) MK 40% ANC 6% (34%). EFF not on ballot (16%). Poll: 50% (52%). Impressive hold for the IFP in the home municipality of Premier Thami Ntuli.

Ward 4 (Ngwegweni Thalaneni) Nkandla, King Cetshwayo: IFP 54% (48%) MK 40% ANC 6% (34%)

The setting: Nkandla is the home municipality of both MK party leader and former president Jacob Zuma and current KwaZulu-Natal premier and IFP provincial leader Thami Ntuli. Ward 4 is northwest of the town centre of Nkandla. It is a rural ward consisting of numerous villages including the Ekukhanyeni Traditional Court. 

Nkandla is a part of the King Cetshwayo District which is in the north of the province and includes Richards Bay, Eshowe and Melmoth.

The 2021 local government elections: The IFP won almost half the vote in the ward for a closely fought win over the ANC by 271 votes. The IFP won three of the five districts, with the ANC and EFF sharing the remaining two. The ANC won the second-most vote-rich district in the ward, the Bambisanani Community Hall in Thalaneni. The EFF finished third in the ward with a credible 16%. This was built on carrying the Ngwegweni Community Hall in Ngwegweni. 

The IFP won 16 of the 27 seats in the council as the ANC bagged 10 and the EFF the final seat. 

The 2024 provincial elections: The IFP improved its showing compared with 2021, growing to 54%. MK shot to second place with 31%, while the ANC could only muster 8%. The EFF finished fourth with 5%. 

The IFP won all five voting districts, taking more than 50% of the vote in all but one, the Bambisanani Community Hall in Thalaneni. Here the IFP won 44% with the MK close behind on 38%. 

Nkandla was one of eight municipalities where the IFP beat MK in May. 

The by-election: The ward councillor passed away after a long illness. MK and ANC elected to challenge the IFP while the EFF sat out this by-election.

The IFP matched its 2024 percentage haul for an impressive hold in Nkandla. It won four of the five voting districts, with MK picking up one. The latter grew at the expense of the ANC and the absence from the EFF. The party won at the Bambisanani Community Hall, having given the IFP the best run for its money in this ward in May.

The ANC continues to lose ground in Nkandla. It got into double figures in only one voting district. 

Poll: 50% (52%)

Ward 6 (Ballito) KwaDukuza, iLembe: DA 99% (59%) ANC 1% (3%)

The setting: Ballito is a coastal holiday town, north of uMhlanga. The ward includes Willard Beach and Thompson’s Bay. KwaDukuza includes Shaka’s Rock and Stanger. The seat of the district is also KwaDukuza. 

The 2021 local government elections: The DA watched a lot of its Ballito lunch get eaten by ActionSA. The new party finished second with an impressive 34% of the vote. 

The ANC lost its outright majority in KwaDukuza, shedding seven seats to win 29 of the 59. The DA too lost ground, falling from 11 seats to nine. Two new parties – ActionSA and the regional Independent Alliance – shook things up to win five seats each. The EFF doubled its seat allocation to four, tied with the IFP. Three other parties won a single seat. 

The 2024 provincial elections: The DA won 85% of the vote here. MK finished runner-up with 4%, while ActionSA only managed 2%, finishing slightly ahead of the ANC which also garnered 2%.

The by-election: Ward councillor Tammy Colley won a seat in the provincial legislature. ActionSA decided not to run. 

The DA won 1,364 of the 1,382 valid votes in this ward. It was a crushing win for the DA. It was the only game in town for this by-election. 

Poll: 28% (49%)

Ward 33 (Glenwood Umbilo) eThekwini: DA 81% (67%) MK 14% ANC 5% (14%)

The setting: Ward 33 is in lower Berea, between the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Howard College Campus and the M4 highway. It is separated from upper Berea by the N3 national road. Its landmarks include the KwaZulu-Natal Society of the Arts, Phansi Museum and schools such as Glenwood High and Durban High School for Girls. It encompasses the suburbs of Glenwood, Umbilo, parts of Bulwer, Carrington Heights and a sliver of Congella. Opening batter Andrew Hudson and renowned and anti-apartheid activist Tikvah Alper have links to this ward. 

The 2021 local government elections: The DA won more than two-thirds of the vote in the ward, and all the districts. It was strongest in the districts closer to Bulwer on the eastern side of the ward. ActionSA came third with 5% and EFF fourth with 4%.

The 2024 provincial elections: The DA did not fare as well as in the 2021 local elections. It won just less than half of the vote, ending on 49%. The party still won all the districts but only took more than 50% in two of the eight districts. The DA did best around the Campbell Hall district, obtaining more than 70%. 

MK was second with an impressive 26%. It won 30% or more in four of the eight districts. Its best haul was 33% in Carrington Heights. The party also finished second in every district. 

The ANC finished a distant third on 7%, just ahead of the EFF and the IFP on 6% each. ActionSA, which came third here in 2021, finished with 1%.

The by-election: Sakhile Mngadi was elected to the provincial legislature. MK was hoping to build on its strong showing in May while the DA was desperate to avoid another eThekwini banana peel after losing a ward in late August to an independent candidate. 

The DA cantered home here. It won 66% of the vote at the Port Natal School in uMbilo. This was the only district where MK won more than 20% of the vote, with a 25% haul. It won more than 70% of the vote in every other district. Its best result was at Campbell Hall in Glenwood where it took 96%. 

MK lost ground here but will be pleased that it beat the ANC again in every voting district. 

Poll: 19% (36%)

Ward 35 (uMhlanga) eThekwini: DA 91% (86%) ActionSA 8% (4%) ANC 1% (4%)

The setting: uMhlanga is north of Durban North and the city centre. It is known for its beaches and lighthouse. The ward houses the offices of many leading South African firms and is also the playground of many holidaymakers. It is one of the fastest growing residential suburbs in South Africa.

The 2021 local government elections: The DA ran away with this ward contest with more than 80% of the vote. ActionSA had its nose just ahead of the ANC for the runner-up spot.

The 2024 provincial elections: The DA won just more than 80%, MK second on 6% and the ANC third with 5%. ActionSA finished fifth behind the IFP on 1%.

The by-election: Nicole Bollman took up a seat in Parliament after the election. Former KZN MPL Bradley Singh was the DA’s candidate. This was the only by-election contested by ActionSA.

The DA won more than 90% of the vote in three of the five districts, doing best at the NG Kerk uMhlanga (93%). ActionSA got into double percentage figures in two districts. The DA will be very happy with its big win, while ActionSA will be happy with its growth after a poor showing in May. 

Poll: 29% (55%)

Ward 36 (Durban North) eThekwini: DA 93% (83%) MK 6% ANC 1% (7%)

The setting: Ward 36 runs from the uMngeni River to Virginia Bush and Virginia Airport. It is sandwiched between the Indian Ocean and Chris Hani Road. As its name suggests, the ward is north of the Durban centre. 

The 2021 local government elections: The DA romped home here, while the ANC beat ActionSA to second place. 

The 2024 provincial elections: The DA received 78% of the vote, with MK finishing second with 9% and the ANC third with 4%. The most competitive part of the ward was in Rosehill Primary School, Riverside, where the DA won 65% and MK came in second on 19%.

The by-election: Shontel de Boer won election to the provincial legislature. Her husband, Heinz, a former member of the provincial legislature, stood to continue the De Boer name in this ward.

The DA won more than 97% in four of the five districts. Durban North College was the kindest to the DA with 99% of the voters there making their mark for the party. Rosehill Primary School was the only district where the DA had to put up some defence, winning 75%. MK grew slightly here with a 21% return. It beat the ANC in every district. 

Poll: 29% (52%)

There will be no KwaZulu-Natal by-election in the next few rounds of polls. This means parties in KZN have time to go back to the drawing board and study these results carefully.