MK Party slips sharply in eThekwini poll as Johannesburg support also weakens
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has fallen 15 percentage points in a new poll in eThekwini, a sharp reversal for a movement that has been trying
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has fallen 15 percentage points in a new poll in eThekwini, a sharp reversal for a movement that has been trying to convert national momentum into local strength. The drop comes as another opinion survey in Johannesburg showed the ANC at just 18%.
The twin polls point to a volatile political map in South Africa’s biggest urban centres. They also underline how quickly voter support can shift between national elections and local contests, where service delivery, coalition math and factional rivalries often matter more than party loyalty alone.
Pressure on the MK Party
The eThekwini result is the clearest sign yet that the MK Party’s appeal can swing hard from one city to another. The party, associated with former president Jacob Zuma, has been one of the country’s most closely watched political forces since it emerged to challenge the ANC’s long dominance.
In the Johannesburg poll published days earlier, the ANC was shown on 18%, a level that reflects the steady erosion in support that has defined South African politics for years. The party that led the fight against apartheid has already seen its vote share fall election after election, forcing the country into an era where coalitions and bargaining increasingly shape local power.
Urban voters send a warning
eThekwini and Johannesburg matter beyond their city limits. They are political bellwethers, and both have now delivered uncomfortable numbers for the country’s biggest parties. For the MK Party, the 15-point fall suggests that early enthusiasm is not always enough to hold voters in a crowded field.
The broader backdrop is a fragmented party system. One source on South Africa’s 2024 politics noted that the country has hundreds of registered parties, with dozens appearing on the national ballot. That fragmentation has helped open space for newer challengers, but it has also made urban voting less predictable and coalition building more difficult.
What comes next
For the MK Party, the next test is whether it can stabilise support in municipalities where expectations are high and patience is short. For the ANC, weak numbers in Johannesburg are another reminder that its base in major cities remains under pressure.
With local political competition tightening, the real question now is whether the latest polling dip in eThekwini is a one-off swing or the start of a broader reset for Zuma’s party before the next round of municipal battles.
