• 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.

• Inkosi Zanothando Mtirara of Mthatha West says young people are relying on grants meant for the elderly, after youth unemployment rose to 47.4% with five million young people jobless.

• Inkosi Mtirara wants the government to reopen old factories, fund young entrepreneurs and work with business, and says traditional leaders will make land available to young people who want to farm.

A senior traditional leader in Mthatha has called on the government to act on youth unemployment, saying jobless young people are relying on social grants meant for the elderly.

Inkosi Zanothando Lithalobom Mtirara of the Mthatha West Traditional Authority in the Eastern Cape spoke after Statistics South Africa released its latest labour figures in August.

They show that 47.4% of people aged 15 to 34 were unemployed in the second quarter of 2026. That is about five million young people.

The Eastern Cape also had the highest overall unemployment rate of any province, at 47.5%.

Inkosi Mtirara said urgent, practical steps are needed to “restore hope and dignity” among young people. He said thousands of qualified graduates are sitting at home without work, which puts extra pressure on families and communities.

He said some young people now depend on grants meant mainly for the elderly and other vulnerable people.

Inkosi Mtirara said a lack of real opportunities also leaves young people open to drug and substance abuse, crime and other social problems. He said leaders cannot keep watching a whole generation lose hope while its potential goes to waste.

He wants the government to reopen old and abandoned factories, especially in towns and rural areas. He believes this would create jobs, boost local economies and bring life back to communities hit by the loss of industry.

He also wants the private sector to help. He said the government cannot create jobs alone, and government, business and traditional leaders must work together to build lasting jobs.

Inkosi Mtirara called for money and easy access to funding for young entrepreneurs, so they can become employers and not “lifelong job seekers”.

He said traditional leaders are ready to make land available in their communities to young people who want to farm. He said rural areas have great farming potential, and young people can take part in farming if they get land, funding, equipment, training and markets.

He also urged young people to organise themselves, speak up and work with the government to demand real jobs.

• The MK party won five of 15 seats in eNdumeni municipality in Dundee but has no majority. The South African Communist Party, with one seat, says it holds the balance.

• Eight of 15 seats are needed to govern eNdumeni. The ANC, IFP, DA and Freedom Front Plus hold nine between them, while the Communist Party says it did well in its first election on its own.

The MK party has won the most seats in eNdumeni municipality in Dundee, in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, but not enough to govern on its own.

The MK party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, won five of the council’s 15 seats. The IFP won four, the ANC and the DA two each, and the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Freedom Front Plus one each.

A party needs eight seats for a majority.

eNdumeni has been in trouble, failing to pass its annual budget after the council rejected it amid allegations of corruption and unpaid debts.

SACP spokesperson Bonga Mdladla told Scrolla.Africa that the MK party won the most seats but has no majority. He said the SACP and the Freedom Front Plus are the decider, because both the MK party and the government of national unity (GNU) partners need them to govern.

On the seat numbers above, the ANC, IFP, DA and Freedom Front Plus together hold nine seats, one more than a majority needs. The MK party, SACP and Freedom Front Plus together would hold seven.

Mdladla said the Independent Electoral Commission has not yet counted the proportional representation votes in some municipalities, including Nongoma. He said these votes could decide who governs there.

He said the SACP is also waiting for seat results in Nquthu, which is in uMzinyathi District along with eNdumeni, Msinga and uMvoti.

Mdladla said the SACP did well, given that it was contesting for the first time on its own after campaigning for the ANC since the start of democracy.

He said the results are a call to prepare for the 2029 national elections. He said the SACP believes it is time for the ANC to step back and let its alliance partners lead.

The SACP’s decision to stand alone has divided its leaders. Some, including KwaZulu-Natal secretary Nomarashiya Caluza, backed the ANC’s campaign instead.

• Police boats transported election materials across waters inhabited by crocodiles and hippos to eNkovukeni, where 193 people were reportedly registered to vote.

• Residents have demanded a bridge for years, but former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa MaDube-Ncube said in 2024 that the government had no plans to build one.

For years, residents of eNkovukeni in northern KwaZulu-Natal have begged for a bridge to connect them to the outside world.

But on Wednesday, 4 November, police boats were once again needed to carry election materials across waters inhabited by crocodiles and hippos.

The remote village, which falls under the uMhlabuyalingana local municipality in the uMkhanyakude district, has struggled with access to basic services for years.

According to information provided by the municipality, 193 people were registered to vote in the community, including those who applied for special votes.

The South African Police Service deployed boats to help the Electoral Commission transport election materials across the water.

The operation brought attention back to a problem residents have raised for more than a decade.

They have long complained that they are forgotten by the government and only remembered when elections arrive.

In 2021, residents protested against the lack of a bridge and threatened to boycott the local government elections.

They complained that the safety of wild animals appeared to matter more to authorities than the lives of people living in the community.

Residents said politicians had repeatedly promised to improve access to the village, but their daily struggle continued.

The fight for a bridge goes back even further.

In 2016, national transport officials discussed the community’s request for a permanent bridge and the need to find a lasting solution.

Boats were supplied that year to help residents cross the water.

But the bridge residents wanted was never built.

In June 2024, then KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa MaDube-Ncube said the government had no plans to build a bridge because the community was located within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Her statement dealt another blow to residents who had spent years asking for a safer way to reach the mainland.

Now, another local government election has arrived, and the community still depends on boats to cross the water.

While election officials worked to get voting materials to eNkovukeni on Wednesday, some residents continued with their daily lives.

People were seen fishing in the lake to find food for their families.

uMkhanyakude District Municipality spokesperson Nonhlanhla Jele praised the efforts to make voting possible despite the village’s location.

“In a remarkable logistical operation, South African Police Service boats were deployed to ferry Independent Electoral Commission election materials across the lake to the island, ensuring that electoral operations could proceed smoothly despite the community’s geographical isolation,” said Jele.

She said people living in remote areas should also have the chance to take part in elections.

“Despite the geographical challenges, the people of eNkovukeni are demonstrating that no community is too remote to participate in democracy. Their participation is a powerful reminder that every vote counts and that no citizen should be left behind in the democratic process,” she said.

According to the report from the village, voting was completed at around 2.30pm, making eNkovukeni one of the first communities in the province to finish casting ballots.

But while the police boats helped election officials reach voters, the community’s transport problems remain.

For residents, getting ballot papers across the water is only one part of the struggle.

They also need a reliable way to reach services on the mainland throughout the year.

The government has previously supplied boats and ruled out building a bridge, but the community’s concerns about access have not gone away.

Wednesday’s election showed that officials could arrange transport to reach this isolated community.

For the people who live there, the challenge is having safe and reliable transport long after election day.

• AmaNdebele King Mabhoko III is boycotting the local government elections, arguing that traditional leaders should govern municipalities instead of elected political leaders.

• The AmaNdebele royal kingdom wants talks with the government over traditional leaders’ powers and warns that growing tensions could cause conflict.

AmaNdebele King Mabhoko III is refusing to cast his vote in the local government elections because he believes traditional leaders should run municipalities instead of politicians.

The king of amaNdzudza says political parties have taken over responsibilities that should belong to traditional leaders.

His decision to boycott the elections is part of a wider fight by the AmaNdebele royal kingdom to change how local government works in South Africa.

On Wednesday, 4 November, the king’s representative, Kingpriest Lindimpi Mhlangu, told Scrolla.Africa that the monarch would not be voting.

Mhlangu said the king believes the current system goes against Section 212(1) of the Constitution.

The royal kingdom argues that this section gives traditional leaders the right to govern municipalities.

“His Majesty will not be voting because he is demanding the government to do the right thing and correct the breach of Section 212(1) so that traditional leaders can govern municipalities, not political parties. That is why today we are not voting in support of the King,” said Mhlangu.

The king has voted in previous elections, but this time he has decided to stay away from the ballot box.

Mhlangu said the monarch previously used the special voting system instead of joining queues at public voting stations.

He said the arrangement helped avoid possible chaos that could arise if the king stood in line with other voters.

But this election is different.

The monarch is using his decision not to vote to draw attention to the role of traditional leaders in local government.

The AmaNdebele royal kingdom has been pushing for traditional leaders to have greater control over municipalities.

Last month, King Mabhoko wrote to different AmaNdebele tribes, calling on them to work together to challenge the current system.

The kingdom believes political parties are exercising powers that should belong to traditional authorities.

It also referred to the founding policies of the South African Native National Congress, which was formed in 1912 and later became the African National Congress.

The royal kingdom argues that these early policies supported a greater role for traditional leaders in local government.

Mhlangu said tensions between traditional leaders and elected councillors are growing.

He believes the two groups are competing for limited resources, government attention and control over local affairs.

He also warned that changes to municipal boundaries could create further disagreements.

Traditional leaders and councillors often work in the same communities, but the royal kingdom believes their responsibilities are not clearly balanced.

Mhlangu said traditional leaders have lost much of the authority they once held.

He accused the government of deciding how much power traditional leaders should have without properly addressing their concerns.

“There is a need for dialogues between monarchies and the government to avert possible conflict,” he said.

He warned that disagreements over the role of traditional leaders in government were becoming increasingly serious.

For the AmaNdebele royal kingdom, the issue goes beyond Wednesday’s elections.

It wants the government to reconsider the place of traditional leadership in municipalities and hold talks with monarchies about their responsibilities.

The kingdom believes traditional leaders should play a direct role in governing communities rather than leaving municipal leadership to political parties.

However, South Africa’s current local government system gives elected municipal councils the authority to govern municipalities.

Section 212(1) of the Constitution allows national legislation to provide a role for traditional leadership at local level. It does not state that traditional leaders must replace elected municipal councils or mayors.

The AmaNdebele kingdom’s demand would therefore require changes to the existing system of local government.

For now, King Mabhoko has chosen not to participate in the election.

His boycott sends a message to the government that the royal kingdom wants its concerns about traditional leadership and municipal power addressed.

• Professor Lesiba Teffo told a Unisa migration seminar that African kingdoms recognised territorial boundaries long before European colonisation.

• Border Management Authority commissioner Michael Masiapato said a fair asylum system needs timely decisions, accessible procedures and meaningful review.

African kingdoms had boundaries long before European colonisers arrived, Professor Lesiba Teffo told a migration seminar in Pretoria.

Teffo was speaking at the inaugural Dynamics of Migration Seminar hosted by Unisa’s Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs on 26 October.

He rejected the idea that Africans had no concept of borders before European colonial rule.

“I published and I have spoken a lot about migration and I want to say you want to talk about borders and you say no, no we don’t need borders, you don’t understand, African does have borders,” Teffo said.

He argued that communities had long used rivers, trees, stones and other landmarks to separate kingdoms, land and areas of authority.

“Borders didn’t come with a white man but they came with the existence of man,” he said.

Teffo gave examples of African kingdoms and communities knowing where one area ended and another began.

His argument reflects an important distinction in African history.

Pre-colonial kingdoms did have recognised territories and political frontiers, but these were not always fixed international borders like those used by modern states.

European colonial powers later created and formalised most of Africa’s modern international boundaries.

The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 set rules for European powers claiming territory in Africa, but historians say it did not itself draw most of the borders seen on today’s map.

Border Management Authority commissioner and chief executive Michael Masiapato also addressed the seminar.

According to posts from the Thabo Mbeki African School, Masiapato said “a fair asylum system needs timely decisions, accessible procedures and meaningful review.”

He also called for migrants’ individual circumstances to be assessed fairly and for legal routes to migration to be available.

Professor Edith Phaswana, acting executive dean of the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, used South Africa’s past visa problems with the United Kingdom as an example of what can happen when immigration systems fail.

“I remember the announcement that came that the UK was going to stop the working visas for South Africans,” Phaswana said.

She said weak controls over South African passports had allowed people from other countries to misuse them.

But the 2009 UK decision did not cancel work visas for South Africans.

Britain instead ended visa-free travel for South African passport holders after raising concerns about fraud and the security of South African passports.

The British government had reviewed South Africa’s visa-free status and warned that people who were not entitled to South African passports were obtaining genuine documents fraudulently.

In February 2009, the British High Commission said abuse of the South African passport remained a serious concern.

The new requirement meant South Africans had to obtain visas before travelling to Britain, making travel more costly and complicated.

Phaswana said weaknesses in immigration systems should not be seen only as administrative failures.

She also questioned who benefits when systems fail, pointing to criminal networks and other interests.

The seminar brought academics, officials and other participants together to discuss migration, borders and how African states should manage the movement of people.

• Thulani says African royals accused South Africa of chasing out fellow Africans during his visit to Kenya.

• The former royal spokesperson defended the protests. The palace has not commented on whether he represented the King or had his backing.

African royals in Kenya challenged Prince Thulani Zulu over claims that South Africa was chasing out fellow Africans, he says.

The prince from eZibindini defended the anti-immigration protests led by March and March, saying they targeted people without valid immigration documents.

Speaking to Scrolla.Africa on Monday after landing at OR Tambo International Airport, Thulani said he had rejected claims that the protests were aimed at Africans.

He accused some migrants who had returned to their home countries of falsely saying they had been driven out by xenophobia. He claimed they had left because they were in South Africa illegally.

“I told our fellow African royals that even when we arrived in Kenya we had to produce our documents to prove that we entered the country legally,” he said.

Thulani also argued that a lack of immigration documents made it difficult to trace people implicated in crime.

He had visited Busia County for the fourth coronation anniversary of the Iteso paramount chief, Papa Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot III. The celebrations ran from 29 to 31 October.

The South African delegation included King Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s younger brother, Prince Kwazikwenkosi kaZwelithini.

Thulani served as the King’s spokesperson until September, when the King removed him following a dispute over a private meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

King Misuzulu has called for immigration laws to be enforced while saying no one should be attacked.

The palace has not commented on whether it sent Thulani to Kenya or whether it supports his remarks.

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• Democratic Alliance candidate Gogo Bonangani Gabela has promised cheaper traditional herbs if voters elect her in ward 2 in Melmoth.
• The party says it changed its normal candidate selection process after residents demanded that the popular street vendor represent them.

A KwaZulu-Natal granny who sells traditional herbs to help men with their bedroom problems is promising to cut her prices if voters put her in office.

Gogo Bonangani Gabela, a familiar face at the Melmoth taxi rank, has become a social media sensation after the Democratic Alliance chose her as its ward 2 candidate in Mthonjaneni.

She is standing in the local government elections on Wednesday, 4 November.

Gogo Gabela has told voters she will not make promises she cannot keep. Instead, she says she will make her traditional herbs cheaper if she wins.

The granny, who also sells fruit and vegetables, says she knows the struggles of ordinary people because she faces them every day.

“My kids I am not educated and I can’t even write my name but all I know is that my community needs development and job opportunities,” she said.

She said street vendors sometimes spend an entire day at the taxi rank without selling anything.

Some are forced to throw away their fruit and vegetables because they cannot find customers before the food goes bad.

Others give their unsold goods to homeless people.

Gogo Gabela said this was painful because many vendors have unemployed children and grandchildren depending on them.

“That is why I want change so that at least our children and grandkids could have job opportunities not to suffer like us,” she said.

She also wants to help residents find jobs created by local business people, although she has made it clear that she cannot create those jobs herself.

Her popularity has now spread beyond the taxi rank.

Videos of her asking people to vote for her while calling them her children have been widely shared on social media.

Last week, she addressed the Democratic Alliance’s final election rally, which was attended by party leader Geordin Hill-Lewis.

She told supporters that her traditional herbs had helped many people with different health problems.

But getting her name onto the ballot paper was not straightforward.

KwaZulu-Natal Democratic Alliance leader Sthembiso Ngema told Scrolla.Africa that Gogo Gabela had worked as a party activist for more than 10 years.

He said residents insisted that the party choose her as their candidate.

The party eventually agreed to set aside its normal selection process to meet the community’s demands.

“We had to put aside the normal processes of the DA to accommodate the community demands as they wanted Gogo Gabela to be their candidate,” said Ngema.

He said the party had also faced criticism for overlooking her despite her years of hard work.

Ngema said Gogo Gabela was loved in the community and was well known for selling traditional medicine.

Despite her new political role, she continues selling herbs, fruit and vegetables at the Melmoth taxi rank.

And she has a special message for the people she calls her children.

“I would be very much happy if my children vote for me and I really appreciate what they are doing on social media,” she said.

She promised that if she wins the election, she will reward her customers by lowering the prices of her herbs.

• Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi honoured African National Congress founder Pixley kaIsaka Seme with a tombstone after the party had turned away from him.
• Historian Bongani Ngqulunga says Seme’s troubled leadership left the African National Congress divided and gave Inkatha a chance to claim his legacy.

The man who helped found the African National Congress was honoured with a tombstone by a rival political party after his own organisation had turned its back on him.

Dr Pixley kaIsaka Seme, who helped establish the African National Congress in 1912, had his tombstone erected in Inanda, north of Durban, by the Inkatha movement under Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

This was revealed by University of Johannesburg historian Dr Bongani Ngqulunga during a recent interview with CMTV about his book, The Man Who Founded the ANC: The Biography of Dr Pixley kaIsaka Seme.

Ngqulunga said Seme had fallen out of favour with the African National Congress because of his leadership style.

“His presidency was the most controversial perhaps in the history of the ANC because Seme believed in his own abilities and perhaps at the expense of an accommodating leadership style,” said Ngqulunga.

He said Seme’s leadership had left the organisation in serious trouble by 1937.

Ngqulunga described Seme as an authoritarian leader who refused to listen to other people’s views.

During his 10 years as president, the organisation never held a National Executive Committee meeting, according to Ngqulunga’s book.

When Seme lost the leadership election in 1937, delegates were so relieved that they stood up and sang Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.

Ngqulunga said Seme then tried to withdraw from the election after the results had already been announced.

Delegates questioned how he could withdraw from a contest he had already lost.

His troubled relationship with the organisation continued after he left office.

Ngqulunga said Seme was no longer highly regarded by the African National Congress when he died.

This gave Buthelezi an opportunity to honour him through Inkatha yeNkululeko yeSizwe, which later became the Inkatha Freedom Party.

There was also a family connection.

Seme’s second wife, Princess Phikisiwe kaDinuzulu, was the half sister of Buthelezi’s mother, Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu.

Seme and Buthelezi also spent time in Nongoma during the late 1930s and 1940s.

Ngqulunga said Buthelezi used Seme’s legacy to support his argument that Inkatha was continuing the work of the African National Congress founders, including Seme and John Dube.

This happened during the 1980s, when political violence between Inkatha and the United Democratic Front, which was aligned with the African National Congress, was tearing communities apart.

Ngqulunga also revealed that Seme faced serious money problems during his presidency.

The colonial government struck him off the roll of attorneys in September 1930.

Seme, who had worked as a lawyer in the Transvaal and owned a farm, lost everything and depended on handouts to feed his family.

Despite his troubled political career, Seme had been a highly educated and respected speaker.

He was born on 1 October 1881 in Natal and attended a local mission school.

An American missionary, Reverend S. C. Pixley, helped him attend Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts in the United States.

Seme later studied at Columbia University and Oxford University before qualifying as a lawyer in London.

His famous 1906 speech, The Regeneration of Africa, won him Columbia University’s George William Curtis medal for public speaking.

The speech included the words “I am an African”, which former President Thabo Mbeki later used in his famous 1996 speech in Parliament.

Seme’s words went on to become an important part of South Africa’s Africa Day and Heritage Month celebrations.

• Sibonelo Nomvalo claims fake pictures showed him taking money from President Cyril Ramaphosa, but he presented no evidence for the allegation.

• The MK Party removed Nomvalo on 22 October, citing councillor selection problems, factionalism, dual pay and delays in campaign material.

Former MK Party secretary-general Sibonelo Nomvalo says fake pictures and intelligence reports were used to push him out of the party.

Nomvalo made the claims at a media briefing in Durban on Friday but presented no evidence to support them.

He accused former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede and MK Party national chairperson Mxolisi Phakathi of being involved in efforts to remove him.

“They made fake intelligence reports against me in such a way that the situation even almost broke down my marriage. My wife spent three months in hospital because of depression caused by the MKP,” Nomvalo said.

He claimed Gumede and Phakathi met in Ballito and prepared a letter calling for his removal.

“They sent me that letter via WhatsApp. They also used fake AI pictures of myself accepting money from President Cyril Ramaphosa to destroy the MKP,” he said.

Nomvalo did not show reporters the alleged pictures, intelligence report or WhatsApp message.

A video of the briefing shows him becoming emotional and crying while speaking.

Former president Jacob Zuma removed Nomvalo as MK Party secretary-general and as a member of Parliament on 22 October.

The party cited concerns over the councillor selection process, internal factionalism, dual remuneration and delays in campaign material.

Nomvalo has also denied allegations that he misused party money to buy cattle.

He said he bought the animals in 2023, before joining the MK Party, while he was still practising as an attorney.

Nomvalo was also asked about Zuma’s age and leadership.

He said he did not want to discuss Zuma’s age in detail.

“On the issue of President Zuma and his age, I’m not comfortable with divulging much about President Zuma. I believe that that’s a personal issue,” he said.

But Nomvalo said Zuma needed better protection from people around him.

“What I can say which I’ve always been saying to him, is that he needs protection. And currently he doesn’t have protection,” he said.

Nomvalo then turned his attack on Lindelani Mbambo, whom he described as the head of Zuma’s presidency.

He accused Mbambo of being involved in factional politics and claimed he had helped people who wanted Nomvalo removed gain access to Zuma.

Nomvalo said he once confronted Mbambo after hearing claims that he wanted the secretary-general position.

“I called him, and I asked him, do you want to be the Secretary General of the MK Party so that I can give it for you for free? He said to me, he doesn’t have an interest,” Nomvalo said.

He claimed Mbambo instead told him he wanted to become a municipal manager if the MK Party took power.

Nomvalo accused people around Zuma of trying to control appointments inside the party and warned MK Party members against what he described as factional politics.

He also accused unnamed figures of bringing the same political tactics used in the ANC into the MK Party.

“The same tactics that were used to destroy some people in the ANC, have now found expression here in the MK party,” he said.

Nomvalo said he would continue speaking about problems inside the party even if he was expelled completely.

Scrolla.Africa has not received responses from Gumede, Phakathi, Mbambo or the MK Party to Nomvalo’s allegations.