MK Party wins 86 seats in eThekwini but falls short of majority

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has emerged as the biggest political party in eThekwini following the 2026 Local Government Elections, securing 86 of the 223 seats in the metro council.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has emerged as the biggest political party in eThekwini following the 2026 Local Government Elections, securing 86 of the 223 seats in the metro council.

However, the party has fallen short of the 112 seats required to secure an outright majority, meaning it will need the support of other political parties to govern the metro.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) finished second with 57 seats, followed by the African National Congress (ANC), which secured 37 seats.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) obtained 15 seats, while ActionSA secured seven seats.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) obtained four seats.

MKP secured 73 ward seats and 13 proportional representation (PR) seats, while the DA won 33 ward seats and 24 PR seats.

The ANC secured two ward seats and 35 PR seats, while the IFP obtained four ward seats and 11 PR seats.

ActionSA and the EFF secured all their seats through proportional representation, with seven and four seats respectively.

The results represent a significant shift in the political landscape of eThekwini, where the ANC previously held the largest share of council representation.

With no party securing an outright majority, attention will now turn to coalition negotiations and which political formations will work together to constitute the new municipal administration.