DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — Disgruntled members of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) have taken to the streets over alleged MK Party candidate list alterations, marching through Durban after discovering that locally approved candidates were replaced on the final submissions to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE 2026).
Protesters gathered at King Dinuzulu Park in the Durban CBD to voice their frustrations over the sudden changes to the candidate lists, particularly in the eThekwini municipality, which is considered a major stronghold for the party.
In response to the growing internal crisis, MK Party leader and former President Jacob Zuma removed Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi as the eThekwini mayoral candidate just 12 days after her official unveiling. Alongside her, senior official Sibonelo Maphumulo is also under investigation for their alleged roles in altering the candidate lists submitted to the IEC. Maphumulo, who was heading the party’s political task team at the time, has seen the task team disbanded by Zuma as part of the corrective measures.
Despite the anger surrounding the alleged manipulation, party members are urging unity. Addressing the large crowd at the march, party leader and event organizer Aba emphasized that members must put personal ambitions and opportunities aside. He noted that while the membership is deeply unhappy with the setbacks, they are pleased that the party leadership is taking decisive action. Aba urged supporters to “soldier on,” entrusting the ongoing investigation to President Zuma while keeping the primary focus on winning the upcoming elections.
Political analyst Dr. Levy Ndou weighed in on the developing crisis, noting that the initial nomination processes within the party were highly open and involved multiple constituencies across KwaZulu-Natal.
“What therefore happened is that in the open processes that took place, there are individuals that were nominated who knew that they are going to find themselves in the final list,” Dr. Ndou explained. “Unfortunately, what appears to have happened is that some of these members realized that they’ve been removed from the list.”
Dr. Ndou described the sudden removals as an element of conspiracy and ill-discipline, warning that such internal friction negatively impacts party cohesion right as the elections approach.
Addressing concerns regarding the IEC’s role in the dispute, Dr. Ndou clarified that the electoral commission is not legally empowered to change a party’s list or interfere in internal party processes.
“The IEC’s responsibility is to ensure that they receive the list from different political parties having been agreed upon by political parties themselves,” Dr. Ndou stated. He explained that the IEC simply facilitates the elections and processes the submitted lists, meaning the responsibility of resolving internal list discrepancies lies strictly within the political party’s own domain.
When asked why these disputes frequently surface so close to the November elections, Dr. Ndou pointed to strategic delays by political parties. He explained that parties often withhold finalized lists to prevent agrieved members from defecting to rival parties. Combined with internal administrative challenges and delayed dispute resolutions, this creates a bottleneck that results in last-minute crises.
“If political parties are able to deal with these issues at an earlier stage and be as transparent and open as possible, make everybody know his or her status in terms of the party list, therefore we will not be able to find ourselves in a situation where the MKP is finding itself,” Dr. Ndou concluded.
As the investigation into Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi and Sibonelo Maphumulo continues, the MK Party leadership faces the critical task of restoring internal trust and finalizing a unified front before the LGE 2026 voting begins.
