Big votes but bigger hurdles for MK Party

ملخص مفصل

Despite winning the largest vote share in 19 hung councils across KwaZulu-Natal, the MK Party faces tough coalition negotiations to avoid being sidelined once…

Can the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) seal the coalition deal in KwaZulu-Natal or will it again be relegated to the opposition benches despite securing the largest vote share in key municipalities? The question looms large as political parties in the province set in motion their search for like-minded coalition partners.

The MK Party is reeling after losing a chance to govern the province in its maiden elections in which it secured the lion’s share of the provincial vote — 45%. The party bungled coalition negotiations and was eventually muscled out of power when the ANC, DA, IFP and National Freedom Party bandied together to form the government of provincial unity (GPU).

The MK Party has since appointed a seven-member team to spearhead the negotiations in hung councils. Its negotiators are led by Duduzane Zuma, the party’s first deputy president. He is supported by second deputy president Tony Yengeni, Apostle Mxolisi Phakathi, whom the party had fielded as the eThekwini mayoral candidate, acting secretarygeneral Lindiwe Mtshali-Makubu, KZN party convener Willies Mchunu, advocate Dali Mpofu SC and treasurer Dr Thanti Mthanti.

This week the negotiations began with backtracking. Party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu and Mpofu expressed opposing views in terms of the posture the party has adopted in its engagements with other parties.

The party emerged as the biggest winner in the municipal elections, with just over 34% of the combined ward and proportional-representa-tion provincial vote. Contesting its first municipal elections after being formed during the lead-up to the 2024 general elections, the MK Party also secured an outright majority in the rural council of Impendle, where it gained six out of 11 council seats translating to 42.61%. In Richmond municipality it secured 56.27% of the vote and walked away with 10 of the 17 council seats. Both councils are in the midlands region.

Over the years the councils were considered ANC strongholds, with the former governing…

T…

مطلع المقال، مقتطف من Mail & Guardian. لقراءة المقال كاملًا، افتحه على موقع الناشر.