LGE 2026: Get to know you eThekwini mayoral candidates
The eThekwini Municipality is a tourism and financial hub for KwaZulu-Natal. It’s the only metro municipality in the province, and a critical component to the country’s trade route via the Port of Durban. But the lack of infrastructure maintenance has led to sewage seeping into beaches - among widespread service delivery challenges. Political parties have various solutions. Here are some of the major candidates hoping to take the lead.
Karinda Jagmohan
eThekwini mayoral candidates 2026
The African National Congress (ANC) is yet to finalise its mayoral candidate among five nominees.
Cyril Xaba: African National Congress (Incumbent Mayor)
The Person
The 59-year-old has been a full-time politician since 1994, when he was elected to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. He served in the National Assembly between 2019 and 2024.
The Message
When Xaba was sworn in as eThekwini Mayor two years ago, he promised to restore eThekwini’s broken infrastructure and ensure water is restored to regions that have battled with supply for years.
The Agenda
Among his other priorities are: ensuring a safe and clean city; inner-city rejuvenation; strengthening good governance and fighting corruption; attracting investment and promoting an inclusive economy that creates jobs.
The Challenge
Xaba, like his predecessors - including crime-accused Zandile Gumede, has come under scrutiny over apparent municipal governance failures.
Earlier this year, Parliament highlighted over R4 billion in irregular expenditure by the City in the last financial year.
Zwakele Mncwango: ActionSA
The Person
The 47-year-old entered politics in 2002 via the Democratic Alliance (DA), and served in the KZN Legislature between 2018 and 2022. He joined Action SA in 2022 and is currently the party’s provincial chairperson.
The Message
Mncwango’s pitch rests on ethics and competence. He argues that eThekwini’s troubles run deeper than crumbling infrastructure and patchy services. He blames leaders who tolerated corruption until it became routine, and promises a transparent government that residents can trust.
The Agenda
Mncwango plans to restore basic services and rebuild infrastructure. He says major water leaks would be repaired within 48 hours and sewage problems would be tackled. The party recently secured a high court order to compel the eThekwini Municipality to fix broken infrastructure and report back to residents about the state of beaches.
Mncwango also wants to boost the Metro Police and establish a dedicated unit to target hijacked buildings and illegal immigration. Any coalition partner would have to commit to financial discipline
The Challenge
ActionSA won 1.93% of the vote and four council seats in eThekwini in 2021.
Mncwango is confident the party can play kingmaker after 4 November and insists its immigration stance will carry weight in any coalition talks. That hardline position could prove a polarising dealbreaker and complicate negotiations. Rivals accuse ActionSA of exploiting the issue for votes.
Haniff Hoosen: Democratic Alliance (DA)
The Person
The 54-year-old has been involved in politics for about three decades. He played an instrumental role in merging the Independent Democrats into the DA. He served in the National Assembly for 17 years, first for the ID and then for the DA. He was initially fielded for the eThekwini Mayoral position in 2016.
The Message
Hoosen’s pitch is that Durban deserves a government that works for its people. He argues the ruling administration has abandoned the city’s poorest residents. He blames mismanagement and corruption for driving skilled young people away, his own daughter among them.
The Agenda
The DA’s 10-point recovery plan commits R10 billion to rebuild the network and ringfence water revenue. It adds public performance tracking, private-sector help, a rapid-repair force and leak-detection technology. It also promises an investigation into the so-called water mafia. Beyond water, Hoosen pledges to restore every wastewater treatment plant, clear sewage from the beaches and fix potholes and streetlights.
The DA also secured a High Court order to compel the city to fix broken wastewater infrastructure. Hoosen also wants open tenders and a crackdown on corruption and patronage via lifestyle audits.
The Challenge
The DA is casting the 4 November election as a straight choice between a DA-led city and an MK-led one. It is urging voters not to split their support, to avoid repeating 2021, when the ANC lost its outright majority but kept control through coalitions.
Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi: Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)
The Person
The 52-year-old is a founding member of the EFF and a senior figure deployed to Parliament. She was elected the party’s first deputy secretary-general in 2014 and served in its Central Command Team until 2019. She entered the National Assembly in 2014.
The Message
“Water in every tap. Light in every home. A home for every family.”
Mkhaliphi wants to confront systemic failure, restore accountability and make the municipality serve its communities rather than fail them.
The Agenda
In her first 100 days as mayor, Mkhaliphi would focus on billing, debt and water. The EFF would hire young people and train them as plumbers to fix leaks in their own wards, cutting water losses and youth unemployment.
Mkhaliphi wants to correct billing errors, cancel irregular debt and overhaul the indigency policy to protect vulnerable residents. This includes moving families out of transit camps, restoring Durban’s train lines and boosting township economies.
The Challenge
In 2021, the EFF won 10.48% of the eThekwini vote and 24 council seats, third behind the ANC and DA. With 69 parties on the ballot this year, Mkhaliphi must defend that ground against the ANC, the DA and now the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which commands substantial support across KwaZulu-Natal and is aggressively contesting the metro.
Mkhuleko Hlengwa: Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)
The Person
The 39-year-old is the IFP’s national spokesperson and current Deputy Transport Minister. He’s spent about 15 years in the National Assembly, having entered Parliament in 2012 as one of its youngest members.
The Message
“If it’s broken…fix it now!”
Hlengwa’s pitch is that eThekwini has the assets to rank among the continent’s leading metro economies, but only with competent leadership. His approach is to repair what is broken now. He grounds the campaign in integrity, respect, accountability and service delivery, and promises to rebuild public trust.
The Agenda
Hlengwa’s three key priorities: water, crime and a cleaner city. He plans to establish a Mayoral Water Crisis Committee to bring stakeholders together to help end the provision crisis. By 2027, he wants the plan to shift from emergency repairs to long-term resilience.
He plans to boost the Metro Police contingency to combat crime and fund community policing. He also wants a cleaner city to improve living conditions, draw tourists and win investors.
The Challenge
The IFP won 7.06% of the vote in eThekwini in 2021 and wants more. It has paired Hlengwa with businessman Sizwe Skhakhane as deputy. The party’s biggest obstacle is the MKP, which has gained traction across the province, which is Jacob Zuma’s stronghold.
Apostle Mxolisi Phakathi: Umkhonto We Sizwe (MKP)
The Person
The 44-year-old is the MKP's national chairperson and the second mayoral candidate, after an initial nominee was ousted due to internal matters. Phakathi became a church leader at age 24. He initially was part of the African Transformation Movement in 2019, chairing the party in the province before he crossed the floor.
The Message
“Reclaim People’s Power. Restore Dignity. Deliver.”
Phakati pitches a government of the people that would restore residents’ dignity and deal decisively with corruption, with consequences for wrongdoing.
The Agenda
Phakathi’s plan rests on four pillars: water, healthcare, employment and housing. He wants to ensure major water leaks are fixed within 48 hours. Healthcare should be brought closer to people in rural regions.
Small businesses should receive support, including skills development. And stalled housing projects should be finalized.
The Challenge
The MKP is poised as a frontrunner for the eThekwini election. But not with an outright majority - meaning smaller parties may be the kingmaker in this election. The MKP is also at risk from within, amid ongoing high-profile reshuffles and no apparent stable succession plan for the party’s leadership.