Ntsiki Mazwai Dragged Online After IEC Data Shows Land Party’s Brutal Election Flop
- A screenshot circulating on social media showed zeros next to the Land Party's name, sending social media into a frenzy
- Ntsiki Mazwai ran as a Mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg under her Land Party banner in the Local Government Elections
- The Land Party's apparent political flop ignited a massive debate online, raising questions about Mazwai's influence among her supporters
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Instagram
Ntsiki Mazwai went from being one of South Africa's most outspoken political critics to becoming the subject of Mzansi's most brutal election memes overnight. The day after the Local Government Elections, a screenshot began circulating on X showing zeros beside every ward linked to her Land Party, and the internet had absolutely no mercy.
Mazwai had thrown herself into the race as a Mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg, a decision that raised eyebrows from the start given her long history of publicly condemning politicians and the political establishment. The irony of her now being the one chasing votes was not lost on anyone.
What the zero votes actually meant
The screenshots that went viral on 5 November 2026 do require some context. In the immediate aftermath of polling closing, the Electoral Commission's (IEC) live data system often reflects zeros against parties in specific wards simply because those tallies had not yet been captured, verified, or uploaded. The zeros were therefore partly a function of timing rather than a final, confirmed outcome.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
That said, the clarification did little to change the broader picture. As counting progressed, it became clear that the Land Party had made virtually no statistical impact on the Johannesburg council race.
With the City of Johannesburg firmly contested between heavyweights like the DA, ANC, and ActionSA, the Land Party, which recently faced financial difficulties, was completely sidelined. Mazwai herself made her way to the IEC Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Brixton to track down the party's actual data as final counts were being processed.
While early viral posts claimed the party received literally zero votes across the board, the official IEC 2026 Municipal Elections Results dashboard told a slightly more detailed, yet still bleak, story, with 79% of votes counted as of 6 November.
Source: Instagram
What social media had to say
The "zero votes" narrative quickly morphed into a full-blown viral meme, with social media users lining up to weigh in on the Land Party's disappointing showing.
_Theo_TT said:
"She did not even vote for herself."
longlivegeneral wrote:
"She probably mistook the views on her YouTube podcast for political capital and convinced herself that online popularity was enough to earn her a seat in Parliament. Funny how feminists seem to find their strongest sense of unity when rallying behind a questionable cause. Yet, when there's an opportunity to unite for something genuinely meaningful, that same solidarity is nowhere to be seen."
GeneralDonjulio posted:
"Not even her family members."
HamieChauke added:
"She thought votes and social media likes were the same thing."
The sentiment running through the reactions pointed to a disconnect between Mazwai's online presence and actual electoral support, with many suggesting that influence on social media does not automatically translate into votes at a polling station.
See the viral screenshot below.
Ntsiki Mazwai reacts to anti-illegal immigration protester's arrest
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared Ntsiki Mazwai's reaction to a viral video of an anti-illegal immigration protester being taken away by police.
The poet, who has clashed repeatedly with the March and March movement, offered a pointed response to the arrest.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
