By Sihle Mavuso
Political parties in KwaZulu-Natal have started preparing for coalition negotiations to form governments in 34 hung municipalities following last week’s local government elections.
The last time KZN had such a high number of hung municipalities was in 2011, when the late Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi broke away from the IFP to form the National Freedom Party (NFP), splitting voter loyalties across the province.
Announcing the provincial results on Sunday, Dr Khulekani Zulu, the operations manager for the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), said only 10 municipalities had outright winners.
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Among them were uMngeni, which was won by the DA; Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma (Ixopo), which was won by the MK Party; and Ulundi, which was won by the IFP.
Among the hung municipalities are eThekwini, Msunduzi, uMhlathuze and Newcastle, where the MK Party emerged as the largest political party but failed to secure enough votes to govern on its own.
Speaking to Inside Politics at the results operations centre, the DA’s leader in KwaZulu-Natal, Sithembiso Ngema, said that while the party had an idea of who it would like to work with, it would await a directive from its national leadership.
“I don’t think between us and ActionSA there is sour blood, but what we have done as a political party and as the leadership of KZN, we have prepared a discussion for all political parties who are willing to engage us,” Ngema said.
He said that the party would focus on negotiating with “like-minded political parties” and made it clear that it would not enter into a coalition with former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party.
“The negotiations are handled at national level; ours is to put together a proposal and send it and say this is what we think can work for KwaZulu-Natal and then the Federal Committee will give us the go-ahead,” he added.
IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said his party, which emerged as the largest in several municipalities in northern KwaZulu-Natal but fell short of outright majorities, would meet on Monday to chart the way forward on coalition negotiations.
“The NEC will meet today to discuss the 2026 Local Government Elections, the results and coalitions. The negotiations team will be constituted today,” Hlengwa said.
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ActionSA’s leader in KwaZulu-Natal, Zwakele Mncwango, said he was open to joining forces with the DA-ANC-IFP alliance in eThekwini and uMhlathuze (Richards Bay/Empangeni area), but any agreement would be subject to conditions.
“I have no issues with working with anyone, if the DA can work with us we can work with them, but the only problem is the condition we have is whether the DA is prepared to agree on three conditions that we laid for the elections.
“That is delivering services to all communities, we know the DA is very selective, they want to service a particular community. Secondly, it is the issue of corruption, cutting corruption out and I think we can agree on that one. The issue of illegal immigration, I am not sure whether they are prepared to work with us [on that],” he said.
The ANC’s negotiating team will be led by its secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, while the EFF’s team will be led by its secretary-general, Marshall Dlamini.
Meanwhile, although the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) lost support at the polls, the party could emerge as a kingmaker in Mandeni, where it secured a single seat.
The South African Communist Party (SACP), which contested the elections independently, could also play a kingmaker role with its two seats in the uMzimkhulu Local Municipality in southern KwaZulu-Natal, where it may have to choose between its alliance partner, the ANC, and the MK Party.
