DA names Haniff Hoosen as eThekwini mayoral candidate for 2026

By Charmaine Ndlela

DA federal leader John Steenhuisen has announced Haniff Hoosen as the party’s mayoral candidate for eThekwini in the 2026 local government elections.

Hoosen, a member of the DA’s KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Committee and former Secretary-General of the Independent Democrats, previously served as a councillor on the Durban Metro Council from 1996 to 2001.

Accepting the nomination, Hoosen pledged to focus on resolving eThekwini’s sewage crisis and prioritising infrastructure maintenance and investment in the city’s budget. He further vowed to strengthen community safety by modernising the metro police.

“In the first few days of taking over the city, we will start the process to end corruption and close the taps for those crooks who have been stealing our money,” Hoosen said.

He also promised to recover more than R35 billion in uncollected revenue and committed the DA to working daily to reverse what he described as the decline