The MK party snatched a ward from the ANC in a highly contested by-election in Mandeni, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, on Wednesday.
The by-election was held in ward 17 after the ANC expelled their councillor, Siphesihle Ntuli. This came after the murder of Mandeni resident Siyabonga Makhoba, who was beaten to death.
MK party candidate Siphelele Mkhwanazi emerged victorious in the by-election, marking the third ward won by the MK party in KwaZulu-Natal since it was formed in 2023.
The party won its first ward last year in the Umzumbe local municipality on the south coast and a DA ward in Durban this year.
The MK party won ward 17 with 1,316 votes, while the ANC received 642 votes and the IFP 199.
MK party is preparing to move a motion of no confidence in KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli, which is scheduled for December 15. The motion was due to be debated on Thursday but was postponed for unknown reasons.
Despite the postponement, party members marched to Pietermaritzburg on Thursday calling for Ntuli’s removal.
The MK party is seen as a threat, especially to the IFP and the ANC, before the local government elections next year, with some political pundits predicting the party could cause a major upset.
TimesLIVE
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