The uMkhonto Wesizwe party is capitalising on the Budget fallout and its support for Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to attract voters, all while battling friction inside the party.

The uMkhonto Wesizwe party is capitalising on the Budget fallout and its support for Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to attract voters, all while battling friction inside the party.

With the growing public support for KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party says it is "more resolute than ever" in its bid to govern KwaZulu-Natal.

The party has spent months trying to take control of the province's governance, so far without success. It is now seemingly using its nationwide campaign in support of Mkhwanazi, and is also calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa's resignation and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's removal, as part of its broader 2026 local government elections campaign.

But first, the party wants to revisit its initial plans to take over the province where it got the most votes after the 2024 elections. One of the ways the party sought to take over was through a motion of no confidence that it wanted to bring against the incumbent premier, Thami Ntuli. However, this did not materialise, since MK did not have the buy-in of parties such as the National Freedom Party (NFP).

The MK party emerged as the biggest political party in the province after the...