News
Why KwaZulu-Natal Is Now the ANC’s Biggest Battle Ahead of 2026
The African National Congress is facing one of the toughest battles in its democratic history, and the battleground is KwaZulu-Natal. Once a stronghold where the party commanded more than half the vote, the province has now become its fiercest test.
Over the last five years, support has not just slipped. It has plummeted. The ANC crashed from over 50 percent in the 2019 general elections to about 17 percent in 2024. For the first time in the province, the party had to share power through a coalition. It marked a dramatic shift that no one inside Luthuli House could ignore.
A province on the brink
Delivering its mid-year overview at the National General Council, ANC leaders openly admitted that KZN has become volatile politically and a key vulnerability ahead of the 2026 local government elections. Once-vocal supporters have grown disillusioned as frustrations around unemployment, corruption, and neglected services continue to rise.
The surge of Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party in the province has also been a defining blow. Many voters turned to the MK Party, seeing it as a vehicle for change that speaks directly to rural and loyal Zuma-aligned communities.
Not only that. In many traditional IFP strongholds, the Inkatha Freedom Party has regained confidence and traction in rural KZN. The ANC now finds itself squeezed from multiple directions.
No backing down
Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu says the ANC is not stepping away. Instead, it is pressing harder.
She insists that the recovery programme is steaming ahead in the province, with more boots on the ground, more organisers deployed, and a strengthened task team dedicated to halting the decline. The party believes governance improvements in areas like public transport and housing will help rebuild credibility.
Bhengu says leaders have identified key pressure points and are humbled by some early progress made by their deployees. But the mountain remains steep.
Ramaphosa’s warning
Standing before party representatives, President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a message that landed heavily. The ANC must unite, or it will perish. The historically low voter turnout of just 58 percent this year hit the ruling party hardest, and internal factional battles continue to weaken its influence.
Analysts say that unless the ANC can restore trust and show visible improvements in communities, any recovery could be short-lived. Voters in KZN are not just angry. Many feel forgotten.
The biggest test yet
With just months before the campaign season intensifies, the party believes its rebuild plan is gaining traction. But momentum will only hold if people on the ground feel real change.
If the ANC fails to reconnect with KwaZulu-Natal before voters return to the polls in 2026, the party may not only lose influence in one province. It may lose the heart of a movement that once prided itself on its connection to ordinary South Africans.
For now, the message is clear. The fight for KZN is very far from over.
Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter, TikT
For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com
Source: IOL
Featured Image: Facebook/IOL News
