Zwakele Mncwango

ActionSA

eThekwini

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.