About this video
MK wasn’t the “DA gaining 1%” story — MK was the story that ripped 15% out of the ANC and forced coalition politics. But since election day, MK has looked less like a party… and more like a soap opera.
Now the real test is 2026 local government: 4,488 wards up for grabs — and MK claims it will contest them all. If they even win a fraction, they’ll need hundreds of credible ward candidates… and so far they can’t even fill their parliament seats.
Then we look at the EFF: clearer ideology, weaker bench. Malema purged the leadership team, and now the party’s making a high-stakes move — exiting ANC coalitions in Gauteng — that could backfire spectacularly if it drives the ANC and DA closer together.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Why MK’s 14.6% was historic — and why it may not be repeatable
• MK’s post-election chaos: leadership churn, bizarre appointments
• The 2026 reality: thousands of wards + hundreds of candidates needed
• Why “Zuma approval” becomes an internal war in rural KZN
• MK’s core problem: incoherent policy (hate Ramaphosa isn’t a platform)
• The Zuma succession bomb: Duduzane vs Duduzile vs everyone else
• Why MK risks becoming COPE 2.0 by 2029
• EFF’s one-man-band problem: purges + fear + silenced talent
• EFF’s Gauteng coalition exit: why it could force ANC–DA cooperation
• The brutal truth: both MK and EFF look capped — and 2026 will expose it
Don’t just complain get involved, share this conversation, and subscribe for more State of the Nation insights.
Get Daily Updates: @PoliticalInsiderZA
LIVE EVENT TICKETS R550 ex VAT
The Tryst Kramerville (13 Feb 2026) with Helen Zille
Tickets: https://sona.co.za/index.php/events/
Follow @sonacoza on TikTok, Instagram, X, and Facebook
Produced by Stream In Studios – https://www.streamin.co.za
The State Of the Nation is Proudly Sponsored by Pace Car Rental
https://www.pacecarrental.co.za/
Use Code : SONA for a discount today!
Chapters: 0:00 Weekly update intro + sponsor mention 0:08 Sponsor: Pace Car Rental (Code SONA) 0:30 Recap: DA opportunity + ANC succession race context 1:07 Why MK was the real 2024 shock (14.6% from ANC) 1:48 MK’s “Zulu nationalist” brand + Zuma effect 2:49 What actually holds MK together: anti-Ramaphosa coalition 3:52 State Capture 1.0 figures resurface inside MK 4:57 MK’s defining feature since election: chaos 5:25 Leadership churn + “chief whip” scandal 6:36 2026 local elections: 4,488 wards + MK’s claim to contest all 7:22 The staffing problem: can’t even fill parliamentary seats 8:00 Why ward councillor battles will explode (KZN contestation) 8:26 Multiply the chaos: “parliament ×10” 8:54 MK’s policy incoherence: against everything, for nothing 9:23 The Zuma “dark cloud”: age + party built on one man 10:07 Nepotism warning: Duduzane on advisory team 10:40 Successor problem: Duduzane lacks Zuma pull 11:12 Duduzile factor + internal succession fight 11:56 Why winning wards could kill MK (governance failures + violence risk) 12:54 Prediction: MK fades by 2029 (COPE comparison) 14:18 Shift to EFF: clearer ideology, worse internal structure 15:07 Malema purges leadership → one-man-band risk 15:46 Why EFF talent stays silent (fear of the “commander”) 16:23 EFF exits Gauteng coalitions with ANC 17:06 Why they left: getting “lost” as junior partner 18:02 Why it could backfire: ANC + DA may align in Gauteng 18:56 Service delivery baggage: Ekurhuleni/Joburg record 19:34 EFF’s real weakness: they need a bad economy 20:12 Ceiling problem: stuck around ~10% 20:40 Malema owns the result now (all responsibility) 21:12 Wrap: why both MK and EFF look in trouble
Watch the full conversation above. This article uses the title and description published by State Of The Nation on YouTube on 20 February 2026.
\n
