Zuma’s MK party draws coalition red lines: here’s its non-negotiable

The MK party said it will only engage parties that share its fundamental positions. The MK party says any coalition discussions after the local government elections will be guided by ideological alignment, such as land reform. Former President Jacob Zuma’s party exceeded the one-million-vote mark overnight, with many coming from its stronghold, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Coalitions MK party acting deputy secretary-general Sifiso Mahlangu says it will only engage parties that share its fundamental positions. Mahlangu said the party is open to coalition discussions after the local government election results are declared but will only engage with parties that share its ideological positions. Speaking at the IEC Results Operations Centre at Gallagher Convention Centre on Thursday, Mahlangu said coalition negotiations were not the party’s primary objective when contesting the elections. “We didn’t come here for coalitions. We came in because our people mandated us to represent them,” he said. Ideology Mahlangu said the MK Party would first wait for the final election outcome before considering any coalition arrangements. He stressed that any future discussions would be guided by ideology rather than political convenience. “We can only talk to people to whom we are ideologically aligned, to people who share our sentiments,” Mahlangu said. He added that it would be difficult to negotiate with parties that hold fundamentally different views on transformation. Land reform Mahlangu singled out land reform and broader transformation as key issues that would influence any possible coalition talks. “We are mandated by the people of South Africa not to sell out. Not to sell out on the land question.” He said the party would not compromise on issues it believes are central to its supporters. “We cannot say that because it will be a betrayal of our constituency,” Mahlangu said. Talks While ruling out ideological compromises, Mahlangu said the party remained willing to engage with like-minded organisations. “We’re going to have conversations with people who are aligned with us,” he said. ‘Not missing’ Mahlangu also dismissed suggestions that the party had been absent from coalition discussions following the 2024 general election. “We were not missing. The negotiations in 2024 started long before the election,” he said. Despite his criticism of previous coalition negotiations, Mahlangu maintained that the party’s door remained open. “Our door remains open. But that question will start after the results are declared. At this point, we want to win municipalities.”