Ward 101: Durban’s Political Powder Keg

Scarred by assassinations, corruption and bitter factional battles, eThekwini’s Ward 101 heads into yet another election season with little outward sign of campaigning — but beneath the quiet lies a community on edge.

By CHRIS MAKHAYE and NOSIPHO SOSIBO

DURBAN – THERE was very little to suggest that eThekwini’s notorious Ward 101 was in the throes of election season during a midweek visit.

Apart from a handful of faded posters along Cato Crest’s main road, the atmosphere was subdued. Yet beneath the silence lies a ward that has become synonymous with political intrigue, violence and mistrust. Residents are bracing for another showdown on 4 November.

A Ward of Stark Contrasts

Ward 101 is a patchwork of extremes. It contains the sprawling informal settlements of Cato Crest and Mayville, the government housing blocks of Bonela, and the leafy, high‑walled affluence of Manor Gardens, where well‑to‑do black and white families live side by side. It is a ward where poverty and privilege collide daily, and where political contestation has repeatedly turned deadly.

Councillors in the Crosshairs

The current councillor, Mlungisi Khanyile, took office in December 2023 after a string of violent and tragic twists. His predecessor, Mzimuni Ngiba, is behind bars awaiting trial for the murder of former councillor Siyabonga Mkhize and his bodyguard. Mkhize was gunned down in October 2021, days before the local government elections, yet won the ward posthumously. Ngiba claimed the seat in the by‑election that followed, only to be arrested later. Khanyile stepped in after another by‑election, just months before the general election of May 2024. Once a safe ANC stronghold, Ward 101 is now wide open, with the MK Party and other challengers circling.

Residents speak of crime, poverty and disillusionment. Carpenter Thula Ngidi, who moved from Botha’s Hill to be closer to clients, says even daylight offers no safety: “You can be mugged or hijacked. I’m not sure if I’ll vote.”

Most of the young and older residents were indifferent about the upcoming poll. 22-year-old resident Samkelisiwe Gumede insists she will remain loyal to the ANC despite worsening unemployment and crime.

Others, like Sindisiwe Dlamini (45), are not so enchanted. She was one of the women who were doing their laundry at the local streetside tap in Cato Crest. She said she has been living in Cato Crest for the past few years.

“We don’t have jobs, crime is high, and there is little development. I for one, will not vote in these elections…..I have not seen any changes since I started voting years ago.

Long‑time resident Nhlakanipho Fakazi points to corruption and illegal electricity connections but vows to stick with the ANC.

“I have seen the other parties, I don’t trust the stokvel that is the MK Party and don’t trust the rest of the other parties. I know things are not right within the ANC, but I would stay within the tent,” he said.

Second-year UNISA B-Ed student Zama Magwaza (21)says most residents are unemployed but insists she will cast her ballot, “but my vote is secret”, she said.

Changing Fortunes

The latest SRF opinion polls underline the ANC’s dramatic decline. Nationally, the party has slipped to 34% support, down from 40% in 2024, and in eThekwini its numbers have collapsed to just 18% in July, compared to a mere 8% in March. Once the dominant force in the metro, the ANC now trails badly behind the MK Party and the DA. The DA, meanwhile, has consolidated its position as the main opposition, polling at 27% nationally and holding steady in eThekwini with 23% in July, only slightly down from 28% in March. The MK Party, which surged to 44% in March, has since slid to 33% in July, but still leads the metro comfortably. The Inkatha Freedom Party remains consistent, hovering around 16–18% in eThekwini, while smaller parties such as the EFF, FF+, MF and ACDP remain marginal, each below 5%.

These figures confirm that eThekwini has become a battleground where the ANC’s historic dominance has been shattered, the MK Party is pressing its advantage despite losing ground since March, and the DA is steadily gaining urban support. The July poll paints a picture of volatility: the MK Party’s sharp fall, the ANC’s modest recovery, and the DA’s resilience all point to a fiercely contested November election. For residents of Ward 101, these numbers are not abstract — they mirror the lived reality of crime, poverty and political mistrust, and set the stage for a contest where every vote carries the weight of history.

Carpenter Thula Ngidi, 30, said he moved to Cato Crest to move closer to his customers.

Sounding the Alarm

Analysts warn that Ward 101 is emblematic of KwaZulu‑Natal’s violent political culture. Dr Crispin Hempson, a Durban-based academic and non‑violence activist, says government must monitor hotspots like this: “In KwaZulu‑Natal, contestation often takes violent form. Assassinations of councillors are linked to access to resources and deep mistrust rooted in the region’s conflictual history.

“I think two factors are relevant - the access to resource that being a councilor brings, and the history of deep mistrust and social divisions arising from the conflictual history of the region. For example in Ward 101, there have been assassinations of existing or would-be councillors,” said Hempson.

Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu, however, frames the crisis in starker terms. “Ward 101 is a prototype of black areas in eThekwini. It’s politics of the stomach. Tensions are high over candidates, even within the ANC and MK Party. The ANC brand is battered by corruption and entitlement. I expect it to do very badly here and across the country.”

“We expect the MK Party to win the eThekwini Municipality but that doesn’t mean that all will be in order and service delivery will flourish as the MK Party has the problems of its own. But these elections would further damage the ANC, whose brand has been badly damaged by years of corruption, arrogance and mismanagement. Its leaders are aloof and distant. I think the decline of the ANC looks irreversible,” Ndlovu said.

Women doing laundry at the streetside tap in Cato Crest

Ward 101, a community of contrasts, remains a political powder keg. Its residents live without jobs, with crime and poverty, its leaders fall to bullets and corruption, and its future hangs on yet another election that may change little but promises to stir much. TQ