IFP Wins Nongoma As ANC Slips Further From Power in KZN

• The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has secured an outright majority in the Nongoma Local Municipality after winning two wards from the National Freedom Party in recent by-elections
• This brings the party’s total to 23 of 45 council seats, giving it full control of the municipality
• The victory shows signs of further decline within the ANC in KZN ahead of the 2026 local government elections

NONGOMA — The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has won an outright majority in the Nongoma Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal following by-elections on Wednesday.

The party captured two wards from the National Freedom Party (NFP), bringing its total to 23 out of 45 council seats and giving it full control of the municipality.

IFP claims victory in three by-elections

The party garnered IFP 55% of the votes, followed by the MKP with 21%, NFP with 13% and the ANC with 9% of the votes.

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In a statement, IFP spokesperson Nkululeko Hlengwa said,

“The Inkatha Freedom Party has emerged victorious in three of the five wards contested in the by-elections held on 18 March 2026, delivering a strong showing that underscores the party’s growing electoral momentum and continued voter confidence."

Hlengwa further added that since the 2021 Local Government Elections, the IFP has secured 47 by-election victories nationwide, strengthening its position as a growing political force. The Party now governs 19 municipalities with outright majorities, reflecting rising public confidence in its leadership and governance model.

“These results send a clear political message: South Africans are increasingly placing their trust in the IFP as a credible alternative for stable, accountable governance, said Hlengwa

The party thanked the voters, leaders, activists, and volunteers, and called for the newly elected councillors to serve with integrity and dedication, leading up to the 2026 Local Government Elections.

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IFP victory shows ANC decline in KZN

Although Nongoma has been a IFP/NFP stronghold, the whole of KwaZulu Natal was largely dominated by the ANC before the 2022 local elections. Currently, the ANC continues to face pressure as its support declines in the province. The party’s 2025 National General Council report confirmed a steady decline nationwide since 2016, with membership dropping by nearly 30% since 2019. Chief whip and head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, admitted concern about maintaining the party’s 40% support ahead of the 2026 elections.

KwaZulu-Natal, once one of the ANC’s strongest support bases, has become increasingly contested, with significant backing shifting to the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party led by former president Jacob Zuma. Ntuli conceded that the ANC has yet to fully capitalise on its rivals’ weaknesses, warning that, despite internal challenges within the MK party, the ANC is not doing enough to regain lost ground.

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ANC rejects offer to work against GPU

In a related article, the African National Congress (ANC) national leadership rejected a call by the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) to work together to topple the IFP-led Government of Provincial Unity in KwaZulu-Natal. MKP second deputy president Tony Yengeni wrote to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula last week requesting a meeting to discuss forming a new coalition government and tabling a motion of no confidence against Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli. The proposed meeting was scheduled for Saturday, 7 March 2026, but it did not take place after the ANC neither responded to nor acknowledged receipt of the invitation.

IFP reject truce with ANC

Previously, Briefly News reported that the Inkatha Freedom Party rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa's call for a truce between them and the African National Congress in the KwaZulu-Natal province in 2024. This was after the tension between them was made worse when Siboniso Duma, the ANC's chairperson in the province, disrupted the Zulu prime minister, Thulasizwe Buthelezi. The ANC further alleged that the IFP held a meeting on 2 March where they planned on how to disrupt the IFP's campaigning in the province.

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Source: Briefly News