MK Party claims victory over DA to secure first major metro win

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has claimed its first victory in a ward previously held by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The party notched up another ward victory in one of two by-elections held on 16 April.

MK Party have had multiple success in ward by-elections since late 2024, but their success had been limited to wards previously held by the ANC.

MK Party flips DA ward

Ward 110 in the eThekwini municipality was contested by seven candidates, with MK Party’s Mandla Biyela defeating nearest rival, the DA’s Rowena Bosman.

The victory in eThekwini marks the MK Party’s first victory in a major metropolitan municipality.

The ward covers parts of Mount Moriah, Dalefarm, Sunningdale, Glen Anil and Glen Hills.

The margin of victory was razor thin, with election result analyst Wayne Sussman stating the MK Party beat the DA by just 22 votes.

MK Party Secretary General Floyd Shivambu reported the victory shortly after 3am, stating his party had won 2 435 votes to the DA’s 2 413.

The numbers show the MK Party securing 38.9% of the voter share, edging the DA by 0.3%.

The ANC trailed in third with 966 votes, with the EFF gathering 30 votes.

The MK. #Gwaza! pic.twitter.com/Bvz68D4xaj

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) April 17, 2025

The ward in eThekwini is the second ward the DA has lost in April, after conceding a long-held ward in Johannesburg to the Patriotic Alliance.

DA win in Randfontein

The DA did register a win in the day’s other by-election, retaining ward 6 in the Rand West City municipality on Johannesburg’s western periphery.

The DA’s Martin Brown will be the new ward councillor for the area covering parts of Randfontein, having secured 71% of the vote.

He pushed aside challenges from the Freedom Front Plus, ANC, EFF and Arise Afrika Arise Independent Congress.

The victors will have roughly a year in office as parties prepares for the 2026 local government elections.

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Former reality TV star and well-known podcaster Gogo Skhotheni has stirred up intense conversations on social media after making a surprising revelation about her past as a sangoma. In a deeply personal moment during an exchange with Real Housewives of Durban alum Slee “The Boss Lady,” Skhotheni admitted that what she once believed was an ancestral calling may have actually been depression.

Her candid statement—“You are one of those who simply think they have a calling, kumbe it’s depression. Uzoba strong”—was reshared by celebrity blog Maphepha Ndaba, and quickly went viral. The remark shocked many of her followers and sparked both praise and criticism from fans and spiritual observers alike. Read More