Former president Jacob Zuma says his political party, the MK Party, will not select “business” or “wealthy people” as councillor candidates for the upcoming local government elections.
Zuma recently told his supporters in uMzimkhulu, south of KwaZulu-Natal, that his party will give opportunities to the poor.
“I want to tell you. You are fortunate that I tell you this first. We are not going to select people who have money, who have businesses, who stop those who don’t have [money].
“We want people who don’t have money. There are people who are hungry. We are changing South Africa. Our country is in ruins,” he said.
Zuma emphasised that the selection process of councillor candidates will be fair and based on merit. He alleged that his party will not accept bribes from anyone seeking to occupy public office.
The MK Party has not held an electoral conference since its founding. The party’s National High Command or National Executive Committee (NEC) plays a central role in making leadership appointments, with the final approval of its leader, Jacob Zuma.
This is the first time the MK Party will contest local government elections since its formation in 2023. It is currently the third-largest political party in parliament. They achieved around 15% of the national votes, with KwaZulu-Natal as their stronghold.
Is the MK Party really pro-poor?
Political analyst Andre Duvenhage told The Citizen on Tuesday that Zuma’s pro-poor stance is a direct attempt to appeal to the impoverished.
“That is part of the manifesto of the MK party to associate with the poor. Zuma will try to create momentum behind these candidates who will be perceived as ordinary, while the elites are seen as corrupt and the product of nepotism, state capture, and so on.
“Although the reality is that within the MK Party there are elites and they are family orientated, as you can see with the whole of the Zuma family,” he said.
Elections Task Teams
The party recently announced provincial and regional task teams that will lead the party’s election campaign in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape.
“Following a national consultative process where ordinary members of the MKP deliberated on the party’s elections programme, and identified capable leadership that will coordinate and manage the MKP’s 2026 Local Government Elections programme,” said secretary-general Sibonelo Nomvalo.
Bongani Baloyi
While the party has not announced its mayoral candidates for the various municipalities, the Sunday Times recently reported that some MK Party members strongly support Bongani Baloyi as a mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg.
Baloyi is a former mayor of the DA-run Midvaal Local Municipality and provincial leader of Herman Mashaba’s party, ActionSA. After leaving ActionSA, he started his own party, Xiluva, which contested the 2024 general elections.
However, after a poor performance at last year’s elections, he and other members of his party joined the MK Party.
According to the report, a group within the party is backing Baloyi, but other party members are concerned about his roots in the DA.
