Zuma makes plethora of promises as MK party takes early lead in KZN

Former President Jacob Zuma and the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has made bold promises, saying if voted to power his party will aggressively address poverty and joblessness.

“Poverty is our big enemy. The MK government will create jobs and introduce programs to fight poverty,” Zuma made the promises shortly after casting his vote at his ancestral village of eNkandla.

As the counting of votes began trickling in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial results centre, the ANC splinter party was by Thursday leading the pack at 32% vote share. The party was followed closely by the ANC at 23%, IFP just over 22% and the DA at 13%. The EFF had recorded close to 2% while the SACP which contested elections as a separate entity from its alliance partner the ANC had gained over 1% of the provincial vote. While no council had been completed by Thursday morning, the MK party had recorded 11 ward seats.

The MK party, who were contesting the local government elections for the first time in 2026, was the biggest party in KZN during the 2024 general elections, recording just close to 45% of the vote share. The party was however muscled out of power when the DA, ANC, IFP and NFP bandied together to form the government of provincial unity (GPU).

Zuma also promised that his party will prioritise the elderly.

“The pension received by the pensioners is too little. Under our government, we will look after the elderly. They must be given more money,” he stated.

With over 28% of the national vote counted, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) projected the ANC to lead with 37% of the vote share, DA 25%, MK party 9%, the EFF at 6% while ActionSA is projected to record a 5% national percentage.