Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

19 October 2026

2-minute read

Questions around party loyalty, candidate selection and accountability are rearing their heads as the 2026 local government elections get closer.

Former ANC member Chellappa Naicker is contesting Ward 17 in Durban under the Independent Alliance. The party was formed before the 2021 elections and wanting to get the best for his people in his ward, Naicker signed on. They have previously spoken out against alleged local government corruption and employment practices within the KwaDukuza Municipality.

The Independent Alliance started off with an independent candidate but with time, other candidates banded together to make up the party. “This election is a thinking election,” stated Naicker, referring predominantly to KwaDukuza, where for the first time a minority group may determine the outcome of an election. While the two major parties battle it out, if all the minority parties stand behind independents in Ward 17, the independents will become the playmakers and will have to approach the Independent Alliance to form a coalition.

For 5 years, KwaDukuza was the biggest rate-paying municipality in KZN, and in comparison, they received very little back. Naicker claims that he “will not toe the line with the majority party” because he represents the people of his ward and the people who voted for him, and he plans to ensure that service delivery reaches every one of them.

Way before his time, Naicker states that service delivery was deteriorating in Ward 17. When the most recent mayor came in, there was a budget allocated to the ward which saw some changes and improvements, especially in the state of the roads. However, he asserts that this “was only due to my attitude towards the ruling party and the municipality.”

Naicker “fought his way through council” and persevered, receiving the necessary support from loyal ANC cadres to ensure they secured the budget they required. He said that it is heartbreaking to see the destruction of infrastructure and the lack of maintenance due to the lack of will from incompetent officials who have no desire to see make a change.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Chellappa Naicker here.