Staff Reporter
The DA has won all four township wards in uMngeni Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, retaining control of the council under Mayor Chris Pappas with an increased majority of more than 60%.
In the 2021 local elections, the DA wrested control of the municipality from the ANC with about 48% of the proportional representation vote and a narrow, one-seat majority.
“In the four 100% black township wards in the municipality, the DA won every single one of them with a commanding majority. We will continue with our mission to deliver for all residents in townships, rural and suburban areas. uMngeni will continue to be a beacon of hope in KZN,” said DA KZN chairperson Dean Macpherson.
The victory represents a considerable shift from 2021, when the DA won five of the municipality’s 13 wards, while the ANC secured eight.
Despite winning fewer wards than the ANC, the DA secured 13 of the 25 council seats through the municipality’s mixed electoral system, giving it the narrowest possible outright majority. The ANC obtained 10 seats and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) two.
The DA’s proportional representation vote share in 2021 was 48.37%, compared with the ANC’s 41.64%.
By 6pm on Thursday, with 97% of votes counted, the DA had secured 61.24% support, followed by the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) on 18.61%, according to Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) results.
Speaking to journalists at the KZN results operation centre in Durban on Thursday, Pappas attributed the party’s improved performance to its record in government and efforts to build trust among communities that had not traditionally supported the DA.
“These results are a testament to this, that the DA has delivered in the last five years,” Pappas said.
He thanked more than 24,000 voters for supporting the party, as well as about 600 volunteers who worked during the election campaign.
He said the administration had spent the past five years attempting to restore public confidence in local government and demonstrate that the DA could govern differently from its political opponents.
Pappas also acknowledged the importance of communicating directly with residents, particularly in predominantly black communities, saying his ability to speak isiZulu had helped him connect with voters and understand their concerns.
Macpherson said the increased majority would allow the party to continue implementing its service delivery programme.
“Today, we can confidently proclaim that we will lead the municipality with a majority of more than 60% from the 48% we attained 5 years ago and continue with our plans to deliver for all residents of uMngeni.”
uMngeni, which includes Howick in the Midlands, was the only municipality in the province governed outright by the party following the 2021 elections.
The municipality also presented a political test for Pappas, whose administration had become a prominent example of DA governance in a province historically dominated by the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
The party’s improved performance comes despite a setback during the 2024 national and provincial elections, when MKP emerged as a major political force in the municipality.
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