PIETERMARITZBURG, Friday 13 November 2026 — Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Chris Pappas is expected to begin a second term as mayor of uMngeni Local Municipality on Friday, as the KwaZulu-Natal municipality prepares to hold its inaugural council meeting following the 4 November local government elections.
The municipality is the only one in KwaZulu-Natal where the DA secured an outright majority, according to Eyewitness News. Its new council is among the first in the province scheduled to convene following the declaration of election results.
Pappas’s expected return follows a result that allows the DA to govern uMngeni without negotiating a coalition agreement with other parties.
His first election as mayor in 2021 marked an important breakthrough for the DA in KwaZulu-Natal, a province where municipal politics has traditionally been dominated by the African National Congress (ANC) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
The latest result provides the DA with an opportunity to continue its administration in uMngeni while coalition negotiations determine the leadership of numerous other municipalities across the province.
KwaZulu-Natal’s municipal transition is taking place against a fragmented electoral outcome, with several councils requiring agreements between political parties before stable administrations can be established.
National guidelines for the establishment of new councils require municipalities to convene their inaugural meetings and elect political office-bearers within the applicable statutory framework.
The uMngeni council meeting is expected to formalise the municipality’s leadership for the new term.
