MK Party Accuses DA Of Hypocrisy Over KZN Coalition And Indian Voters

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of hypocrisy over its participation in the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in KwaZulu-Natal, arguing that the arrangement undermines Indian voters.

The party claims the DA previously attacked the Minority Front for supporting a similar government arrangement involving the African National Congress (ANC), only to later enter into its own cooperation with the governing party. MKP eThekwini chairperson Mkhanka Zuma has questioned whether the DA applies consistent political principles or changes its position when government participation is at stake.

MKP Questions DA's Position on ANC Cooperation

In a statement, Zuma described the DA as a political scam and accused its leaders of being populist demagogues who change their principles and political positions depending on whom they are dealing with. He recalled how the DA allegedly campaigned against the Minority Front in Indian communities by accusing the party of selling Indian votes to the ANC.

“I was already actively involved in politics when the Democratic Alliance displaced the Minority Front (MF) in many Indian communities. At the time, the DA accused the Minority Front of selling Indian votes to the African National Congress (ANC).”

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Zuma said posters were displayed across Indian and white communities, particularly in wards where the Minority Front had support, promoting the message that the party was working with the ANC.

According to him, the campaign encouraged voters to support the DA instead. He said it was painful that members of the Indian community had believed the messaging and abandoned a party that had represented their interests for years.

Zuma further argued that the DA's opposition to the ANC was not driven solely by concerns about poor service delivery, but also by the growing political cooperation between Black and Indian South Africans.

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He said these communities had been divided under apartheid's racial segregation laws, and credited the late Amichand Rajbansi with helping bring them together through political cooperation.

“The late servant of the people, Amichand Rajbansi, played a role in bringing these communities together through political cooperation. If Rajbansi was wrong, in the DA’s view, to support the ANC in forming a government in KwaZulu-Natal, why should the DA and the IFP be treated differently when they subsequently agreed to work with the ANC?” he questioned.

Zuma Challenges Voters to Examine DA's Record

With the 2026 local government elections scheduled for 4 November, Zuma urged voters to look beyond campaign slogans and question the motives behind political parties' coalition decisions.

He questioned whether the DA was exploiting minority communities to gain access to government positions, blue-light privileges and other benefits while publicly presenting itself as a party holding the ANC accountable.

Zuma also challenged voters to consider whether the DA opposed the ANC's service delivery failures consistently or mainly when it was excluded from government decision-making. He argued that political parties should be judged by the same standards they use when criticising their opponents.

“What is the difference between the DA’s campaign against the Minority Front for supporting the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and the DA’s own decision to enter into government arrangements with the ANC after the 2024 elections?” he questioned.

He maintained that parties should not condemn another organisation for conduct they later justify when it serves their own political interests. Zuma said the Indian community, like every other community in South Africa, deserved honest political leadership rather than political manipulation.

“The Indian community, like every other community in South Africa, deserves honest political leadership, not political manipulation. Voters must look beyond campaign slogans, racial divisions and political propaganda. They must examine the historical record, the conduct of political parties and whether their actions are consistent with the principles they publicly promote,” he said.

When approached for comment, the DA said it was busy with its rally.

Expert Says Criticism Must Be Viewed in Election Context

Local government expert Musa Xulu said the statement should be understood in the context of the approaching elections, among other factors. He argued that the MK Party was reacting to research he said projected 37% support for MKP and 27% for the DA in eThekwini.

“MK Party is obviously angered by the DA’s own research, which projects 37% support for the MK Party and 27% for the DA in eThekwini. The MK Party knows that, without obtaining 50% plus one, it will struggle to find a political party willing to form a coalition government with it, partly because of its instability.”

Xulu's assessment places the dispute within the wider contest for political control in eThekwini, where coalition arrangements could become important if no party secures an outright majority. His comments reflect his interpretation of the MKP's motives, while the party's criticism centres on what it describes as inconsistent political standards and the treatment of Indian voters.