South Africa’s DA retains uMngeni with more than 60% of vote
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on GroundUp and Mail & Guardian
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance says it has retained the uMngeni municipality in KwaZulu-Natal with more than 60% of the vote in local elections. Mayor Christopher Pappas, who has held office since the party’s 2021 victory, promises to continue municipal changes, according to GroundUp.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s opposition party, has retained its majority in the uMngeni municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, with more than 60% of the vote in Wednesday’s local elections, Dean Macpherson, the DA’s provincial chairperson, announced, according to GroundUp.
The result exceeds the 48% the party secured five years earlier. uMngeni mayor Christopher Pappas, who has led the municipality since it took it from the ANC in 2021, said the DA intended to continue the changes it had begun and keep out the “chaos”.
The municipality plans to increase additional revenue from its smart-meter programme to about 900,000 rand a month. Electricity losses, which had reached nearly 60%, are expected to fall to about 27% in the 2025-2026 financial year. Residents are nevertheless calling for help with the cost of electricity, as well as more jobs for young people.
The victory came on the same day as the announcement of the first seat won by the ANC in South Africa’s local elections. It came as the MK party claimed a large lead in KwaZulu-Natal, according to an announcement published on 5 November.
