MK Party president Jacob Zuma disbanded the party’s Presidential Task Team on September 9, 2026, and replaced eThekwini mayoral candidate Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi with national chair Apostle Mxolisi Phakathi, while ordering an investigation into allegations that councillor candidate lists submitted to the IEC were manipulated.

The party said the decisions were taken to protect the integrity of its processes ahead of the November 4 local government elections, according to TimesLive. Hlophe-Mkhwanazi and National Party Liaison Committee member Sibonelo Maphumulo were both removed from the committee with immediate effect, pending the investigation’s outcome.

Allegations Of List Rigging And IEC Implications

The investigation centres on allegations that duly nominated councillor candidates were removed from party lists submitted to the Electoral Commission and replaced with other names. SABC News reported that the party alleged Hlophe-Mkhwanazi and Maphumulo manipulated the lists, while IOL and TimesLive used broader language about reports of names being removed and substituted.

The National Party Liaison Committee is the party’s official channel for dealing with the IEC, with each party allowed only two representatives. The removal of both individuals means the MK Party has lost its entire representation at the IEC 56 days before voters go to the polls, according to IOL.

Reports that legitimate, duly nominated and deserving candidates may have been removed from the party lists submitted to the IEC, while other names were allegedly submitted in their place, strike at the very heart of the integrity of our organisation and the democratic will of our structures and membership.

The party said the statement was issued on behalf of Zuma. IEC candidate nominations closed on August 28, 2026, the same day Hlophe-Mkhwanazi was unveiled as the eThekwini candidate. According to IOL, candidate names already submitted to the IEC cannot be changed, meaning the alleged alterations may be irreversible unless the commission accepts a formal objection.

Leadership Turbulence And Electoral Stakes

This is the second time in approximately six weeks that Zuma has disbanded the Presidential Task Team. He first dissolved it in late July 2026 and replaced it with a Strategic Presidential Team, before reversing course in early August and reinstating the task team. The body was originally established in February 2026 to build branches and prepare the party for the elections.

Hlophe-Mkhwanazi served as eThekwini mayoral candidate for just 12 days before being replaced. The party apologised to its structures for the uncertainty and disruption. The MK Party took approximately 45% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal in the 2024 provincial election but was excluded from the provincial government, making eThekwini — the country’s largest metro in KZN — its most significant electoral target. The IEC is expected to publish the final list of candidates on September 16, with the investigation’s outcome likely to shape the party’s next steps.