A jubilant coalition conquered Jacob Zuma's MK party in the KZN legislature today, but the province is in for a rocky ride as uncomfortable bedfellows seek consensus to thwart MK in its heartland.

The Inkatha Freedom Party's Thami Ntuli is KwaZulu-Natal's new premier.

Ntuli was elected after the ANC/IFP/DA/NFP coalition trumped MK in today's leadership elections in the 80-member legislature.

MK secured 45% of the vote in the provincial elections earlier this month, and the outcome of today's events at the opening of the KZN legislature in Pietermaritzburg was uncertain.

MK has 37 of the 80 seats, and its ally, the EFF, has two.

Contrary to fears that MK "sleepers" in the ANC would be treasonous and vote with Zuma's breakaway party, ANC members loyally voted with the coalition.

The government of provincial unity will mirror the coalition deal in the National Assembly. In KZN, the IFP/ANC/DA coalition commands 41 seats.

Coalition cooperation

The coalition partners closed ranks, and Ntuli's election will see him sworn in on Tuesday, when he is due to announce a provincial cabinet.

Today's coalition cooperation saw the election of the ANC's Ntobeko Boyce as Speaker, and the DA's Mmabatho Tembe as Deputy Speaker.

The EFF and MK complained that the vote was not secret.

MK MPL Mervyn Dirks, who was nominated for Speaker, demanded that parliament's live cameras be turned off over fears about the integrity of the...