The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has named Deputy Minister of Transport and party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa as its mayoral candidate for the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
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According to EWN, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa announced Hlengwa’s candidacy during a media briefing in Durban earlier today, positioning the 39-year-old politician at the centre of the party’s campaign to take control of KwaZulu-Natal’s economic hub.
Hlengwa has served as an IFP Member of Parliament since 2012 and previously chaired Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), one of the key bodies responsible for parliamentary financial oversight. Following the 2024 general election, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Transport.
According to Hlabisa, Hlengwa brings extensive experience in government and public leadership, as well as a longstanding association with the IFP.
The party said his experience in public administration and oversight would help drive its campaign for what it described as more effective, accountable and people-centred governance in eThekwini.
A 2-horns strategy
The IFP has adopted what Hlabisa called a “two-horns” strategy for eThekwini, pairing Hlengwa with businessman and IFP Durban Central Region chairperson Sizwe ‘Mavava’ Skhakhane, who has been named the party’s deputy mayoral candidate.
Skhakhane previously served as chairperson of the IFP Youth Brigade in eThekwini and was the organisation’s national chairperson from 2006 to 2010. IIFP
The announcement forms part of a wider IFP push ahead of the local government elections, with the party saying it has submitted its councillor and proportional representation candidate lists to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
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Battleground for eThekwini
The eThekwini contest is expected to be one of the major political battles in KwaZulu-Natal during the 2026 local government elections.
The IFP has identified the metro as a strategic target as it seeks to expand its influence beyond municipalities it already governs.
Hlengwa has argued that eThekwini has the potential to become one of the continent’s major economic centres if it receives the right leadership. In accepting the nomination, he also acknowledged the scale and complexity of the challenges confronting the city, saying there were no easy solutions.
The 2026 Local Government Elections are scheduled for Wednesday, 4 November 2026, according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa.
For the IFP, Hlengwa’s nomination represents a high-profile attempt to translate the party’s growing political presence in KwaZulu-Natal into control of one of South Africa’s largest metropolitan municipalities.
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Featured image: X/@NkosazanaPeshwa
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