LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: Meet the candidates: eThekwini

In the 2021 municipal elections, the ANC led eThekwini with 42% of the vote. However, the rise of Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party severely weakened the ANC in the 2024 elections, positioning MK to become the metro’s largest party following the upcoming local government elections. At stake is a R70-billion budget, trailing only Johannesburg, Cape Town and Ekurhuleni.A recently released Ipsos poll found the MK party was leading ahead of the 4 November vote, with 55% support, followed by the DA (17%), ANC (10%), IFP (6%), ActionSA (4%) and EFF (3%). However, a poll released by the Social Research Foundation in August had significantly different figures: MK (33%), DA (23%), ANC (18%) and IFP (16%).Either way, the MK party is projected to dominate the metro. The key question is whether it secures an outright majority or if rival parties unite to form a coalition – potentially shutting MK out, mirroring the aftermath of the 2024 provincial vote where the party won 45% but was excluded from government.Here are the top parties’ mayoral candidates and their key promises. Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi – MK partyDespite fielding several high-profile figures, the MK party has chosen the lesser-known Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi as its mayoral candidate. The 35-year-old holds a BSc Honours in Computational and Applied Mathematics. She is a co-founder and CEO of GirlCode, a leading South African non-profit advancing tech education for women and girls.Her promises include:Fixing water shortages, sewage spills, and power failures to restore basic services before the city sinks deeper into neglect.Tackling the housing shortage and reclaiming hijacked buildings.Taking decisive action to make the municipality safer for residents and businesses alike.Haniff Hoosen – DAHaniff Hoosen is a Chatsworth resident who has served as a Member of Parliament for nearly 17 years. Before taking his seat in Parliament, he spent years on the metro’s council.The 54-year-old’s promises include:A war on crooked tenders and corruption.A transparent government allowing residents to track service delivery improvements.Fixing the water crisis and repairing leaks by bringing in technical experts and ring-fencing water revenue to upgrade pipes.Fixing potholes, ending sewage spills on beaches, fixing streetlights, and improving sanitation. Recovering billions in uncollected debt.Mkhuleko Hlengwa – IFPDeputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa. (Photo: Samsa) Mkhuleko Hlengwa (39) currently serves as the deputy minister of transport. He has a long history in the IFP and chaired Parliament’s oversight committee, Scopa. The IFP is launching its manifesto on 20 September. Hlengwa’s team didn’t commit to any specific promises, but when he was announced as the party’s candidate, he said, “We are speaking about the heart of our economy. We are speaking about the heart of KZN’s economy. We are speaking about a metro whose influence extends beyond its municipal boundaries.”Zwakele Mncwango – ActionSAZwakele Mncwango. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)Zwakele Mncwango (47) is ActionSA’s KwaZulu-Natal chairperson. A former DA leader in the province, he has led the opposition in the provincial legislature and was the party’s KZN premier candidate in the 2019 general elections.Mncwango’s promises include:Restoring basic service delivery and rebuilding infrastructure.Providing political stability.Insourcing essential municipal services.Dealing with illegal immigration.Creating jobs and growing the local economy.Reducing water losses.Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi – EFFHlengiwe Mkhaliphi (52) is a founding member of the EFF and served as the party’s first deputy general secretary. She currently serves as an MP.Mkhaliphi’s promises include:Rooting out corruption and bringing administrative competence to the City.Improving municipal infrastructure and supporting industrialisation.Focusing on grassroots development to uplift the poor and working class. Improving service delivery and housing access for vulnerable communities.Encouraging women to actively take up leadership and decision-making roles within local government.The ANCThe ANC has presented five names as possible mayoral candidates: Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Meggi Govender, Thabani Nyawose, Mina Lesoma and Cyril Xaba. While their individual promises are unclear, here’s Daily Maverick’s review of the party’s election manifesto. DM