ANC reinstates Mdaka in Umkhanyakude to steady KZN’s fragile coalition

The political balance in KwaZulu Natal shifted again on Thursday when the ANC’s Siphile Mdaka was reinstated as mayor of the Umkhanyakude District Municipality, a move widely viewed as an urgent attempt to stabilise the province’s fragile Government of Provincial Unity.

Mdaka returned to the position after the IFP’s Comfort Khumalo resigned during a special council sitting in Hluhluwe. His brief removal in October, following an IFP-led vote of no confidence, had deepened divisions within the GPU and fuelled threats from the ANC Youth League to pull the party out of the coalition entirely.

The latest reversal followed days of behind-the-scenes negotiations between the ANC and IFP as pressure mounted over the looming no confidence motion against Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli. Both parties acknowledged that the coalition risked collapsing if the political standoff in Umkhanyakude remained unresolved.

Under the new arrangement, the IFP retains the position of speaker while the ANC holds the mayoralty. The deputy mayor post has been allocated to the Economic Freedom Fighters and the National Freedom Party will take up the role of chief whip. The structure, agreed to by all coalition partners, is intended to calm tensions and extend the life of the GPU.

Mdaka avoided triumphalism in his first remarks after returning to office. He acknowledged that residents remain frustrated by long standing service delivery failures, particularly inconsistent water supply across the district. He said the municipality can no longer afford political instability or internal power struggles and called on coalition partners to recommit to basic governance.

The ANC in KwaZulu Natal described the reinstatement as a pragmatic step to restore order. IFP leaders also signalled their support, saying the council needed to refocus on improving service delivery rather than trading political blows.