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IFP decision to restore ANC rule in Umkhanyakude triggers local resignation
A deal meant to stabilise power has instead shaken the ground
Politics in northern KwaZulu-Natal rarely moves quietly. In Umkhanyakude District Municipality, a recent decision by the Inkatha Freedom Party to restore the African National Congress to power has sparked a public rupture within the party itself.
What was intended as a strategic reset has instead triggered a high-profile resignation, deepened internal tensions, and reopened old questions about how coalition politics really work on the ground.
How Umkhanyakude changed hands and changed back
Earlier this year, the IFP, backed by the EFF and NFP, successfully removed ANC mayor Siphile Mdaka through a vote of no confidence in the Umkhanyakude District Municipality. The shift marked a clear break in local governance, with IFP councillor Comfort Khumalo installed as mayor and the NFP retaining the deputy mayorship.
That arrangement did not last. Khumalo later stepped down to allow Mdaka to return, effectively restoring ANC leadership in a municipality where the IFP holds a majority. The decision has been widely criticised by local structures, who say it defies both logic and party tradition in the province.
A local leader walks away in protest
The fallout became personal this week when Mdabe Mathenjwa, a branch chairperson in the Jozini Local Municipality, announced that he was resigning from both politics and the IFP.
Mathenjwa says he repeatedly warned party leadership against returning the ANC to power but was ignored. His frustration was blunt. In KwaZulu-Natal, he argued, there is no Government of Local Unity involving the ANC at the municipal level, making the decision even harder for local leaders to accept.
In a video now circulating widely online, Mathenjwa declared his exit without hesitation, telling supporters to come collect his IFP shirts. The clip has struck a nerve, with many residents seeing it as a symbol of growing distance between party leadership and grassroots structures.
Social media anger and internal disciplinary drama
Mathenjwa’s resignation did not come out of nowhere. Weeks earlier, he had taken to social media, accusing senior party figures of selling out Umkhanyakude residents, directing sharp criticism at Mkhuleko Hlengwa, the IFP’s national spokesperson and Deputy Minister of Transport.
The posts prompted the party to summon him to Durban to appear before its National Executive Committee. Mathenjwa did not attend, citing the short notice.
The IFP leadership has since claimed that Mathenjwa was expelled from the party last year, a claim he strongly disputes. He insists he never received a dismissal letter and continued operating openly as a branch chairperson, even attending meetings with national leaders. For many observers, the contradiction has only deepened confusion about internal processes within the party.
Why this matters beyond one municipality
The Umkhanyakude saga has implications far beyond district borders. The ANC’s earlier removal strained relations with the IFP and raised fears about the stability of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government. At one point, there was concern that the ANC might support an Umkhonto weSizwe Party-backed motion of no confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli.
By returning the ANC to power in Umkhanyakude, those fears eased, with the ANC ultimately backing Ntuli. Yet the political cost has shifted inward, exposing fractures within the IFP and highlighting how provincial strategy can clash with local sentiment.
A growing disconnect voters are watching closely
For residents in Umkhanyakude and Jozini, this is not just about party manoeuvres. It is about trust, consultation, and whether local voices still matter in big political decisions. The public reaction online suggests many feel blindsided, with frustration aimed less at rival parties and more at leaders who appear out of touch.
As coalition politics becomes the norm across South Africa, Umkhanyakude offers a cautionary tale. Deals struck at the top may calm broader power struggles, but without local buy-in, they can just as easily ignite new fires.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: News24
