There will be no shenanigans, no political lifelines and no coalitions just for the sake of it, says Duduzane Zuma as he lays out the MK party's approach to government and explains why its leadership reshuffles do not worry him.

Duduzane Zuma, the son of former president Jacob Zuma, has spent much of his life around politics, but was not directly involved until two years ago.

Now, he finds himself at the centre of some of the biggest political decisions the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party will have to make as it prepares to negotiate its way into government in several municipalities.

As the party's first deputy president, Zuma has been tasked with leading coalition negotiations that could see the MK party take control of several municipalities, including eThekwini, where it has become the largest party, but failed to secure an outright majority.

It is a big responsibility for Zuma, who admits that although he grew up around politics, he has not always been directly involved. His growing prominence also comes as the party faces questions about its leadership stability, its ability to govern and whether he could one day take over from his father.

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Zuma reflected on his political journey, the lessons learnt from the 2024 elections, his ambitions for eThekwini and the frequent leadership reshuffles within the MK party, which he dismissed as teething problems. He also spoke about his father's leadership and...