Durban Braces for New City Fathers

The End of ANC Dominance

eThekwini Municipality prepares for new city fathers not from the ANC for the first time since democracy. But whether fresh leadership will mean cleaner water, reliable electricity and better services remains the unanswered question.

By CHRIS MAKHAYE

Durban’s political landscape is shifting dramatically. The ANC, long the custodian of eThekwini, has been humbled to single digits in the latest SRF poll. The MK Party has surged into pole position, consolidating disillusioned voters and positioning itself as the city’s likely new power. The DA and IFP remain significant players, but neither appears poised to overtake MK’s commanding lead.

The Rise of MK

The MK Party’s surge has redrawn Durban’s political map. Launched by former president Jacob Zuma in December 2023 — barely six months before the May 2024 general elections — the party stunned observers by winning almost 46% of the KwaZulu‑Natal vote and 14% nationally, instantly becoming the official opposition. Since then, it has continued to build support in urban centres like eThekwini.

EThekwini has become the bedrock of MK’s support in just over two years of its existence, and the SRF poll is indicative of this trend. Yet the party has not declared who will stand as its mayoral candidate. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has set 17h00 on 28 August 2026 as the deadline for parties to submit their candidate lists, with the final list to be published on 16 September ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

Until then, Durbanites wait to see who will emerge as the face of the city’s new leadership — and whether that leader can stabilise governance and restore confidence in municipal services.

A City in Decline

The poll numbers reflect more than political fortunes — they mirror years of broken promises. Durbanites have endured erratic water supply, electricity interruptions, uncollected refuse, and crumbling roads. The frustration has boiled over into tragedy.

On 2 August, Celani Zungu, a young man from Adams Mission, was struck and killed by a municipal water tanker after an altercation over water distribution. His death has become a grim symbol of how service delivery failures have turned deadly, exposing the dangerous disconnect between citizens and their municipality.

Durban’s Crossroads

The ANC’s decline does not automatically promise better governance. Unless the incoming administration prioritises professional management, financial discipline, and infrastructure renewal, Durban risks exchanging one era of dysfunction for another.

Thapelo Mohapi, secretary general of Abahlali BaseMjondolo — an organisation long at loggerheads with city officials over failures and broken promises — warned that a change in administration would mean little if any improvements, especially for the poorest of the poor.

And as Durban braces for new city fathers, residents were reminded of the human cost of neglect: Celani Zungu was laid to rest this past weekend, his death a stark reminder that service delivery failures are measured not only in statistics, but in lives lost.