By Zukile Majova
- MK party wins ANC stronghold in Richmond by letting community choose their candidate.
- ANC support crashes from 84% to 39% as MK grabs the majority vote.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s MK party has pulled off a big upset, beating the ANC in a tough by-election in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal.
Ward 2 used to be a safe seat for the ANC in a municipality where the party has long had strong support.
But this time, MK let the community pick their own candidate — Msizi Dlamini — instead of putting in someone chosen by party bosses. That gamble paid off.
MK also teamed up with Vuyo Zungula’s African Transformation Movement (ATM) to campaign in the area.
The two parties had already met to form a coalition. ATM’s spiritual leader, Professor Ceasar Nongqunga, and Zuma agreed to work together in parliament and local communities.
They tasked their secretary-generals to meet and decide how the parties will jointly take on the next local government elections.
The Richmond vote was the first real test of that partnership — and it worked.
It was also the first test of the ANC’s new leadership in KwaZulu-Natal. Veteran ANC leader Jeff Radebe is now the convener, with Mike Mabuyakhulu as coordinator of the provincial executive committee.
But both have been slammed for being loyal to President Cyril Ramaphosa without having much grassroots influence.
The ANC’s poor showing in the by-election could spell trouble for its plans to rebuild in the province. Its support in Ward 2 dropped from 84% to just 39%. MK, which didn’t even contest last time, shot up to 54%. The EFF dropped from 9% to 5%.
The result came on the same day the ANC-led government announced another hike in VAT — a move that likely pushed voters away.
The ANC still runs the Richmond council with eight out of 14 seats. The others are shared by the EFF (2), MK (1), DA (1), IFP (1) and an independent (1).
This is MK’s third by-election win since it was formed in December 2023.
Pictured above: MK party.
Image source: MK party
