The African National Congress (ANC) on Saturday announced its mayoral candidates for six KwaZulu‑Natal municipalities as the party accelerates its preparations for the November local government elections. The national announcement, made at a gathering in Sandton, placed renewed attention on Durban and other KZN centres where service delivery and municipal governance remain central voter concerns.
Ramaphosa: mayors must be visible when services fail
At the event, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa challenged the candidates to remain accountable and present to communities not only during successes but also when municipal services collapse.
"People of our communities expect a mayor that is there not only when the taps are opened, but also if the taps run dry. We appear when we open the taps, when we launch a project, but when a project goes wrong, we are not there. Our people expect budgets that are spent on time, audits that come back clean, and tenders that are awarded on merit, not because people are connected to other people in the municipality."
Ramaphosa’s remarks underline the ANC’s public focus for the campaign: service delivery, clean audits and tender integrity. The president’s comments reflect a recognition that municipal performance remains a decisive issue for voters across urban and rural wards in the province.
Who was announced for KwaZulu‑Natal?
ANC secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula announced the party’s slate, saying shortlisted names were assessed on leadership ability, integrity, experience and a grasp of local government. For KwaZulu‑Natal, candidates were presented for the following municipalities:
- eThekwini Municipality
- Msunduzi
- KwaDukuza
- Newcastle
- Ray Nkonyeni
- uMhlathuze
The pool of KZN candidates named in the national announcement included several familiar figures: Cyril Xaba (the current eThekwini mayor), former KwaZulu‑Natal premier Nomusa Dube‑Ncube, eThekwini Speaker Thabani Nyawose, former Member of Parliament Mina Soma‑Lesoma and ANC veteran Maggie Govender. The national announcement did not publicly attach every individual name to specific municipalities in its bulletin.
| Municipality | Announcement detail |
|---|---|
| eThekwini | Candidates presented; current mayor Cyril Xaba listed among KZN candidates |
| Msunduzi, KwaDukuza, Newcastle, Ray Nkonyeni, uMhlathuze | Candidates presented for each municipality as part of the KZN slate |
What the ANC says about the selection
According to the national announcement, the selection process focused on a candidate’s leadership credentials, integrity and hands‑on experience in local government. Secretary‑general Fikile Mbalula told supporters the nominated candidates had been assessed on those criteria.
The ANC’s national leadership will now shift to campaigning and to the practical work of convincing voters the party is prepared to address chronic municipal issues — from ageing water infrastructure to governance of procurement and audit outcomes. Ramaphosa’s remarks suggest the party will frame those issues as central to its local election message.
Local context and what to watch
KwaZulu‑Natal’s municipal landscape has been shaped by a mix of service delivery protests, legal disputes and political competition. The provinces and municipalities named in the announcement contain both urban and rural wards where residents frequently raise concerns about water interruptions, electricity supply, municipal administration and the awarding of tenders.
Voters in eThekwini — South Africa’s third‑largest metro and the province’s economic hub — will be closely watching how the nominated candidates propose to tackle persistent issues such as bulk water infrastructure, billing and billing disputes, and contract management.
Practical items to monitor as the campaign unfolds:
- Whether the ANC publishes a detailed, municipality‑specific manifesto for service delivery timelines;
- How individual candidates respond to audit findings and tender irregularities in their campaign literature and debates;
- Which other parties name mayoral candidates for the same municipalities and how coalition possibilities are addressed after the vote.
The candidates’ formal lists and any further allocations by the ANC will be important to follow as the party finalises its strategy ahead of the 2026 local government elections. For residents in Durban and beyond, the coming weeks will reveal how the chosen nominees intend to translate national pledges on accountability into local action.
Reporting from Durban.
