‘Zuma is Unbending Iron’: Mbalula Admits ANC Anticipated KZN Election ‘Disaster’
African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has conceded that the party fully anticipated the electoral “disaster” it faced in KwaZulu-Natal, describing uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party leader Jacob Zuma as “insimbi kayigobi” an unbending iron.
Reflecting on the highly contested November 2026 Local Government Elections, Mbalula admitted that the ANC leadership was well aware of the political storm heading their way in the province.
He noted that the party understood the immense challenge of going up against the former president, affectionately known by his clan name, Msholozi, whom he characterized as an unyielding and stubborn force on the campaign trail.
The 2026 municipal polls have seen the MK Party drastically alter the political landscape of KwaZulu-Natal, mirroring its rapid rise from previous national elections and severely fracturing the ANC’s traditional stronghold.
The surge of support for Zuma’s party has stripped the ANC of outright majorities in key regions and triggered widespread hung councils across the province.
Despite the severe blow to the governing party’s dominance, Mbalula struck a somewhat relieved tone.
He pointed out that while the results represent a major setback, the damage in KwaZulu-Natal did not turn out to be as catastrophic as the ANC’s worst-case internal projections had feared.
As political parties scramble to assemble governing coalitions across KZN’s deadlocked municipalities, Mbalula’s frank acknowledgment highlights a growing pragmatism within Luthuli House regarding Zuma’s formidable influence and the permanent shift toward a multi-party provincial dynamic.