MAHIKENG, North West — As the North West Local Elections 2026 approach, the United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP) is spearheading a major push to reclaim its historical dominance in the province, aiming for a sweeping victory while several other political organizations also target significant electoral growth.
Historically, the North West province was fertile ground for the UCDP, which was founded by the late former president of the homeland. The party once served as the official opposition in the region before losing all its seats in both the provincial legislature and the national assembly following the 2014 elections. Now, the UCDP is aggressively campaigning to regain that lost ground and re-establish its political footprint.
Obakeng Menong, the UCDP’s Acting Provincial Spokesperson in the North West, expressed high confidence in the party’s resurgence. He stated that the party is hoping to secure more than 50% of councillors across the municipalities, citing a highly positive response from voters on the campaign trail.
According to Menong, voters remain interested because they remember the UCDP’s past contributions to their communities. While he acknowledged that the party experienced “hiccups” post-1994 that led to underperformance, he emphasized that the organization has since been fully restored. “We are moving and we are very, very optimistic that we are going to perform and get more than 50% in all the municipalities,” Menong affirmed.
While the UCDP leads the charge among smaller parties, other well-established organizations that have historically struggled to make inroads in the North West are also mounting serious campaigns. Currently, the UCDP, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), and the African Independent Congress (AIC) each hold fewer than ten seats across all municipalities in the province, while the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has no representation at all. However, all four parties insist they have turned a corner and are adamant that their electoral fortunes will improve.
The IFP, which previously contested in a few North West municipalities without clinching a single seat, is targeting widespread representation after the November polls. Themba Gwabeni, the IFP’s Acting Provincial Chairperson, revealed that the party is focusing on deploying no less than 70 key strategic people to turn things around, though they have been working on fielding up to 120 candidates.
Gwabeni noted that while the party aims high, they are grounding their strategies in realism. “When we fall, we fall on mountain tops,” he explained, highlighting the ambitious 50-year journey the party is embarking on to secure a lasting foothold in the province.
Beyond mere representation, the ACDP and AIC are focusing their campaigns on the severe service delivery challenges facing many North West municipalities. Both parties have blamed the unsustainable provision of basic services on poor leadership and have vowed to deploy ethical, capable individuals to local government.
Enoch Modisakeng, the ACDP North West Provincial Chairperson, promised to field dedicated, responsible, and competent public servants. He assured voters that the party will not deploy individuals who would compromise the community, insisting that their councillors will strictly adhere to the ACDP’s core principles of honesty and transparency.
Echoing the call for better governance, Nombulelo Xatsi, the AIC North West Provincial Chairperson, criticized the current state of affairs and called for a return to core operational skills. She emphasized the need for the government to prioritize skills development for both the youth and adults, advocating strongly for the hiring of properly qualified individuals rather than relying on cadre deployment.
The upcoming local government elections in the North West are expected to be fiercely contested. More than 70 political parties and over 50 independent candidates are slated to participate, setting the stage for a highly competitive political landscape as parties like the UCDP, IFP, ACDP, and AIC fight to expand their influence.
