MK Party wins most eThekwini seats as coalition talks begin.
The MK Party won 86 of eThekwini’s 223 council seats, leaving parties negotiating to form an administration after no party secured a majority.
Political analysts believe a coalition between the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) - which form the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) - is likely to take the reins of eThekwini Municipality.
UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party emerged as the largest party in the municipality, securing 86 seats, followed by the DA with 57 seats. The ANC secured 37 seats, while IFP won 15.
With 223 council seats and 112 needed for a majority, political parties are now negotiating partnerships to determine who will lead eThekwini’s next municipal administration.
The DA has ruled out entering into a coalition with the MK Party.
Zakhele Ndlovu, a political analyst from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), said it looked like the coalition of GPU partners will govern eThekwini.
"ActionSA is likely to join them in a coalition. But, let us remember that the ANC will hold its elective conference in December 2027 and it could reconsider its partnership with the DA," he said.
Ndlovu revealed that IFP was also meant to hold its elective conference, but it kept postponing it.
Dr Jabulani Nyawo, a political analyst from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), said the public was aware that within eThekwini municipality there was no political party that held an outright majority.
"Then this municipality is left with an option of a coalition government. Currently, we have the GNU at the national level, with parties such as ANC, DA IFP and few of the smaller parties. In KZN, currently we have GPU consisting of ANC, IFP, DA, and NFP," he said.
Nyawo said the public was likely to see the same coalition of the ANC, DA and IFP to govern eThekwini municipality.
"I am saying this because two political parties (DA and IFP) have actually indicated that the MKP participated in this 2026 local government election without having the election manifesto. Therefore, there is a high possibility that these three parties will form a coalition government within eThekwini," he said.