MIDRAND, Gauteng — As the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE) unfold, Rise Mzansi spokesperson Lukhona Mnguni has expressed strong optimism regarding the Johannesburg election results, confirming the party’s continued growth in South Africa’s largest metropolitan municipality. Speaking from the Results Operation Centre, Mnguni highlighted that the party has successfully sustained and expanded upon the voter support it initially garnered in 2024.
Mnguni confirmed that Rise Mzansi will secure more than two seats in the Johannesburg city council, and he affirmed his readiness to take up his own seat in the legislative body. While the party is prepared to engage in crucial conversations about how to best constitute the city’s government, Mnguni emphasized that specific roles and coalition dynamics will be determined through ongoing negotiations among political parties.
Regardless of the final administrative arrangement, Mnguni stated that Rise Mzansi is committed to using whatever platform it secures to reward its loyal voter base. Furthermore, the party aims to build trust with residents who supported their campaign messaging but were not yet ready to cast their ballots in their favor, framing the current political moment as a critical opportunity for trust-building.
Addressing the broader electoral landscape, Mnguni pointed to a distinct geographical divide in voter participation. He noted a concerning lack of voter turnout in the southern parts of Johannesburg, interpreting it as a sign that many residents feel betrayed by politics and are losing confidence in the democratic process as a vehicle for tangible change. Conversely, the northern suburbs of the city demonstrated robust voter engagement.
Mnguni stressed that the next two years must be dedicated to taking proactive political action directly into communities, with the explicit goal of reviving public hope in the democratic process as a whole.
When confronted with criticisms from rival political factions suggesting that Rise Mzansi’s primary function is to fragment the Black vote, Mnguni firmly rejected the notion. He clarified that the party’s fundamental existence is to ensure that social democratic principles have a dedicated vehicle for expression in South Africa.
Positioning Rise Mzansi as a necessary alternative to what he described as a “collapsing” African National Congress (ANC), Mnguni argued that it is clear to all observers that the ANC has reached the end of the road as a governing party. However, he acknowledged that citizens who previously found political expression within the ANC still require a viable political home. Rise Mzansi, he concluded, is strategically positioned to build that alternative and ensure that the foundational promises of South Africa’s democracy are continuously fulfilled.
