- Former Vibe FM DJ Lwazi Mdladla won ward 40 in kwaMashu for the MK party, taking it from the ANC after he left radio and his celebrity life to work for the community.
- Mdladla says he will donate his first six months’ salary to the community’s development, and says poor services such as water and electricity pushed him into politics.
Former Vibe FM DJ Lwazi “Mlwazet” Mdladla has won ward 40 in kwaMashu, north of Durban, for the MK party, taking it from the ANC.
He has promised to donate his first six months’ salary to the community’s development, as he said he would before the 4 November elections.
Mdladla won all seven voting districts in the ward, which the ANC used to win with an outright majority.
He told the Daily Sun that he left radio and his celebrity status to join the MK party and work on community development. He said service delivery was poor, water and electricity supply was terrible and residents were suffering. He said he was suffering too, as he is also a resident.
His wife, Thando, told Scrolla.Africa that ANC members mocked him a lot during the campaign. She said they told him he was wasting his time and would not win, because big names such as former police minister Bheki Cele had joined their campaign in the ward.
She said the community stood by him. She woke up early to cook for voters at all seven voting stations, so they would not be hungry while queuing.
The ward is also home to Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube of the ANC, who votes there in every election.
The MK party has taken several prominent township wards in eThekwini that the ANC held before. They include ward 53, held by Zandile Gumede, which the MK party won with a majority of votes.
