DA retains uMngeni with 61.24% of vote

The Democratic Alliance retained control of uMngeni Municipality in South Africa’s 2026 local elections, winning 10 of its 13 wards and receiving 61.24% of the vote, according to a result the party published. The African National Congress won two wards and the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party won one, according to reported ward results. The DA took control of the municipality from the ANC in 2021. Provincial chair Dean Macpherson said the party’s share had risen from 48% in that election to more than 60% in 2026, while its votes increased from 14,000 to just over 24,000. Those comparisons were attributed to Macpherson; the precise 61.24% figure was published by the DA. Chris Pappas, who has served as mayor since November 2021, is set to lead the municipality for another term. The party had put him forward for re-election. Macpherson said DA candidates won all five township wards, while other accounts of the party’s remarks referred to four black township wards. Pappas said the municipality had encountered challenges in carrying out its plans, including a lack of support from provincial government departments. He said the incoming administration would consider strategic litigation...