As he plots how to win the municipal elections next year in Gauteng’s hotly contested metros, uMkhonto weSizwe Party head of elections, Bongani Baloyi, says he is fielding calls from some ActionSA and DA councillors promising to bring numbers in exchange for coming on board.
But the two parties have rejected the claim. Baloyi’s remarks come after sources in the MK Party told Sunday World that ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party councillors in the eThekwini region, KwaZulu-Natal, are planning to leave their parties after the elections to join the Jacob Zuma–led party.
Baloyi told Sunday World on Tuesday that there has been a direct approach from DA and ActionSA councillors in Gauteng who have made it clear that they want to join the MK Party.
Approached in secret
He said he has advised them to publicly announce their intentions to join — without making any demands for positions — and not to use the MK party to extend their political lifespan.
“We have explained to them that if they want to join the party, they must do so out of their own volition. And there are no guarantees that positions will be made for them,” he said.
“We don’t have sleeper agents; everyone who joins uMkhonto weSizwe does so publicly. If they decide to join and agree to abide by the constitution, they will be more than welcome. Just like any other person who does so.”
When asked whether there is any evidence supporting his claims of councillors wanting to join the MK party, he said the councillors had requested face-to-face meetings.
“Those groups want to meet face to face. And some of them don’t even know they are in the same caucus. They are talking to me because I did not reveal it to either of them.”
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga dismissed the allegations, calling the MKP a “joke” and “a non‑starter”. He questioned who would join it, given its instability.
MK Party ‘a sinking ship’
Msimanga said they wished luck to any members considering a move, adding, “one cannot run to a sinking ship”.
He said that Baloyi had previously attempted to recruit DA members when he left to join ActionSA. But he failed. And he tried during the launch of his political party, Xiluva, but was unsuccessful then as well.
“If they want to [leave], they can go ahead. But as far as we know, no member has shown willingness to go there,” he said.
“He’s now trying as a member of MK. If it does happen, it might just be one member from one branch, but I don’t see how this could occur.”
ActionSA chair Michael Beaumont echoed Msimanga’s sentiment. He said it was in Baloyi’s interest to create the perception that their councillors were considering joining the MK party.
“In the life of a political party, some members might go to the MK party. And in fact, we find a lot of people who went to the MK party but are now returning to ActionSA,” Beaumont said.
Revolving door
He described the MK party as a “family business”. And he said South Africans who voted for it in the 2024 elections were “turned off” by internal events, calling it a “revolving door”.
Meanwhile, a senior MK party source in KwaZulu‑Natal told Sunday World that there are ANC councillors and others from various parties in the eThekwini municipality who are affiliates of the MK party.
“For example, there are people who vote for the MK party in eThekwini but are not MKP members. They wear other party regalia. They are members of a political party who don’t vote for it,” the source said.
“Those members remain in those parties because they receive payment. We say they can stay where they are but vote for uMkhonto weSizwe. We suggest voting for MK even while wearing DA regalia.”
In what came as a surprise in April, the MK party won a by‑election in Ward 110 — a DA stronghold in eThekwini — by 22 votes. Ward 110 includes suburbs like Umhlanga, which have historically been governed by the DA.
Surprise by-election win
The MK party won despite DA leader John Steenhuisen and senior member Dean McPherson campaigning for the by‑election.
Another source told Sunday World that the party was highly confident of winning the eThekwini municipality outright, aiming for a 51% majority.
“We already have the majority, and people representing other political parties aren’t actually members of those parties. They’re members of the MK party.”
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri did not respond to calls by the time of publishing.
