‘We told you’: Jacob Zuma celebrates MK Party’s KZN election surge - News24

“We told you we were going to take that place and we’ve taken it,” former president Jacob Zuma said on Friday as the MK Party (MKP) surged ahead in the local government elections in KwaZulu-Natal.

Speaking on the sidelines of the court appearance of his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban, Zuma was confident about the party’s performance in its first local government elections.

“We have said before that we will take over. You should be saying thank you for what you did because you told us that. That’s what you are supposed to do, aren’t you?” he said as he laughed.

Zuma also indicated that the party was prepared to enter coalition arrangements where necessary, and added that it was open to working with other parties.

“We are open. That is what we do. Because we want to rule the country, and we want the country to be run by the citizens,” he said.

His comments came as Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) results showed that the MKP was leading the provincial race ahead of the IFP and ANC.

By Friday morning, with 71% of the provincial vote counted, the MKP had secured 34.55% of the vote and 264 council seats.

The IFP was in second place with 21.96% and 184 seats, and the ANC had 21.37% and 155 seats.

The MKP had also secured outright control of three municipalities and was leading in 11 others.

One of its significant victories was in Richmond, traditionally an ANC stronghold, where the party secured 56.27% of the vote and 10 seats, pushing the ANC into second place with five seats.

However, the biggest political prize, eThekwini, remained up for grabs.

The MKP was leading the metro with 42.18% of the vote, followed by the DA with 22.33% and the ANC around 17%.

Despite its commanding lead, the MKP was still short of the 113 seats needed for an outright majority.

Throughout KwaZulu-Natal, 13 municipalities emerged as hung councils, while results in 28 municipalities were still being calculated.

The results echo the 2024 general elections, when the MKP made a dramatic entrance into electoral politics, winning 45.35% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal.

Despite emerging as the largest party in the province, it failed to secure an outright majority, winning 37 of the 80 seats in the provincial legislature.

A coalition comprising the IFP, ANC, DA and National Freedom Party subsequently formed the provincial government, with IFP leader Thami Ntuli elected premier.

The MKP was also left outside the government of national unity when the ANC entered into an agreement with the DA and other parties after the 2024 general elections.

This time, however, the party appears determined to approach coalition negotiations differently.

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