Zuma’s MK party poised to top eThekwini as ANC support wanes, poll shows

A new poll suggests a major shift in voter sentiment in eThekwini, with Jacob Zuma’s MK party emerging as the metro’s leading force while the ANC struggles to hold on to its traditional support ahead of the 4 November municipal elections.

Poll shows MK party with sizeable lead

The survey, commissioned as part of News24’s Elections Poll ’26 project, indicates that the MK party has established a sizeable lead over rival parties in eThekwini. The poll attributes the party’s momentum to support for the political movement led by former president Jacob Zuma.

ANC facing uphill battle

The findings suggest the ANC is struggling to retain its voter base in KwaZulu-Natal’s largest municipality, historically an important urban stronghold for the party. Analysts have identified eThekwini as a key battleground in the run-up to the municipal vote.

Opposition context

According to the poll, other opposition parties, including the DA and the IFP, continue campaigning to expand support but do not match the MK party’s current momentum in the metro.

Implications for the 4 November vote

With campaigning entering its final weeks, the poll’s results raise the prospect of a major political realignment in eThekwini if the trends are confirmed at the ballot box. The MK party is seeking to convert growing support into control of the metro.

Zuma’s remarks during campaign events

As parties intensified campaigning, Jacob Zuma criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the country is being “run by a crook who has not done anything for the people.”

At the relaunch of the Jacob Gedleyihlekisa (JG) Zuma Foundation in Durban, Zuma said he had no intention of stepping away from public life:

“I have told some people that they should be happy because I still have time on this earth; I do not have time to go, no. How can we depart and leave this country in these conditions?”

He added,

“I am not going anywhere; I will remain right where I am.”

Zuma also called for unity among black South Africans, saying:

“Many bad things were done to us, but because we are not people with bad hearts, we are at peace.”

What the poll means locally

The survey positions eThekwini as one of the defining contests of the 2026 local government elections, given the metro’s strategic importance and its history as an ANC-controlled area. The results suggest the ANC faces a difficult task reversing declining support levels in the city.