DURBAN - eThekwini is one of South Africa's biggest metros, but as special voting gets underway, the question is which party will emerge with control of the city.
Until 2021, the ANC maintained a strong presence in KwaZulu-Natal, securing around 42.1% of the vote in eThekwini.
READ: eNCA MarkData Election Survey | It's all about coalition preferences
However, eNCA MarkData projections suggest a dramatic shift in the political landscape, with the ANC potentially securing just 14% to 15% of the vote, while uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) could take as much as 48%.
According to the projections, the Democratic Alliance is in second place with an estimated 25%, followed by the ANC in third.
"eThekwini has fundamentally changed since the emergence of uMkhonto weSizwe in 2024," says political analyst Wayne Sussman.
READ: eNCA MarkData Election Survey | eThekwini residents express coalition preferences
The shift is also evident in KwaXimba's Ward 1. In the 2021 local government elections, the ANC secured 88% of the vote. However, in the 2024 national and provincial elections, MK made significant inroads in the same ward.
"If the ANC wants to do better on election day, they need to win back the voters' trust in such a ward," says Sussman.