The MK Party has won the hotly contested Richmond by-election (Ward 2) in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands despite a low key campaign, shocking the ANC, the closest contender, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). This has earned the Jacob Zuma-led party its first seat in the Richmond Local Municipality, which falls under the Umgungundlovu District Municipality. Ahead of the by-election, the ANC pulled out its big guns, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile and former provincial chairperson, Siboniso Duma, to campaign for…

One of the councillors who shot to prominence by speaking out against corruption in the ANC-run Mandeni Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot.  According to an internal Mandeni SAPS incident report note, Siphephelo Mathonsi was fired at in the early hours of Sunday, March 9, by unknown gunmen in the Nembe area. The incident happened around 1:20 am. Mathonsi was rushed to the General Gizenga hospital in Stanger, where he is said…

The ANC in the Vhembe region, Limpopo, has modified its road map to the highly contested elective conference and decided on the venue following weeks of delays and uncertainty about the gathering.  According to ANC Vhembe Secretary Rudzani Ludere, the conference will be held at the Kalahari Water Front at Ha-Budeli in Thohoyandou on May 3-4. He said on January 17th, the Regional Task Team (RTT) approved the new road map at its first meeting held to prepare for the…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) returned from its US visit emboldened, declaring itself a “steadfast and credible advocate for South Africa’s national interests on the international stage” despite its junior role in the Government of National Unity (GNU). The ANC asserted that foreign policy remains the “preserve of the executive,” exposing the fragility of South Africa’s fragmented governance system, which internal divisions and global right-wing shifts strain. DA MP Willie Aucamp’s demand for ANC concessions on foreign policy, suggesting that the…

The Limpopo ANC Youth League’s (ANCYL) demand that its regional chairpersons take over as district municipality mayors after the 2026 local government elections has pitted the young lions against the ANC. At its first meeting on Sunday (March 2), the ANCYL’s provincial executive committee (PEC) resolved to push for power across the province’s five districts: the Mopani, Peter Mokaba, Vhembe, Waterberg, and Sekhukhune districts. “The PEC reaffirms the call for all regional chairpersons of the ANCYL to take over municipalities…

The recently installed KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial task team (PTT) says it will fight factionalism, root out corruption within its ranks, audit branches, and bring people back to the party. Led by ANC veteran Jeff Radebe, the PTT made this undertaking while briefing the media today (March 5) in Durban, following its first meeting since assuming office last week. Speaking on behalf of the task team, Radebe said their collective task is a generational mission to reposition the ANC as the…

The eThekwini Metro in KwaZulu-Natal, run by a coalition comprising the African National Congress (ANC), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), is on the verge of losing more than R800 million in transport and township infrastructure grants due to failure to spend the money.  On February 14, the National Treasury wrote to City Manager Musa Mbhele asked him to motivate why a portion of the R3.2 billion grants – totalling R880 million – should not be…

The much anticipated ANC Vhembe regional conference appears to have been postponed indefinitely after being marred by logistical and membership verification challenges.  Party regional spokesperson Gumani Mukwevho revealed that the ANC’s elective conference, which was supposed to be held at Nando Dam Resort on March 10th, has been postponed until the party has organised its affairs. Collins Chabane Municipality senior official Simon Mavikane is challenging incumbent regional chairperson and Limpopo’s Economic Development, Environment and Tourism MEC Tshitereke Matibe, who seeks…

DA Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille, in her latest desperate bid to remain relevant in South Africa’s political discourse, has once again thrown baseless and reckless allegations into the public domain—this time accusing South Africa of acting as a proxy for Iran. Without a shred of concrete evidence, she implies that the ANC’s stance at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israeli genocide is somehow dictated by foreign interests. Her irresponsible remarks are not only inflammatory but are designed…

Members of the ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC) will spend the weekend in KwaZulu-Natal to brief party structures regarding the reconfiguration of the provincial executive committee (PEC). The NWC would also outline what the new structure that will take over from the PEC would do in the coming months and ahead of the 2026 local government elections, according to the party’s invitation letter seen by African Times.  The ANC at national level recently resolved to reconfigure the PECs in KwaZulu-Natal…