Chris Pappas Set For Second Term As uMngeni Mayor After DA Secures 61% Of Vote

Chris Pappas is set to be inaugurated for a second term as mayor of uMngeni Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The municipality is the only one in the province where the Democratic Alliance (DA) secured an outright majority in the 2026 elections.

uMngeni is also among the first municipalities in the province to schedule its inaugural council meeting following the declaration of the election results. Fourteen additional DA representatives will join the new council as members are officially sworn in.

DA Strengthens Its Grip On uMngeni With 61% Of Vote

The DA secured 61% of the total vote in uMngeni, a significant improvement on its narrow victory in the 2021 local government elections. Five years ago, the party took control of the municipality by just 42 votes.

Pappas made history in 2021 when he became the first DA member to serve as a councillor in a KwaZulu-Natal municipality. His expected return to the mayoral office follows the party's increased electoral support in the area.

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Speaking during a recent media briefing, Pappas described the past five years as an important period for his administration. He said the latest election result reflected the work done to demonstrate that the DA could deliver services to communities across the municipality.

“It's been an incredible journey, the last five years. One where we had to go out to prove to many communities that the DA can indeed deliver for all and can be different to the ANC and IFP, who are in government in other municipalities in our province and indeed we did that,” he said.

MK Party, ANC And IFP Members To Join New Council

The new uMngeni council will include representatives from several political parties. Alongside the 14 additional DA members, five representatives from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, four from the African National Congress (ANC) and one from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) are also expected to be sworn in on Friday.

The council's inaugural meeting will formally establish the municipality's new leadership following the 2026 elections. Pappas's expected second term comes after the DA increased its share of the vote from its narrow 2021 victory to a clear majority.