The IFP has officially declared its readiness for the upcoming 2026 local government elections, announcing Mkhuleko Hlengwa as its mayoral candidate for the eThekwini metropolitan municipality.

Speaking at a media briefing, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa revealed that the party will deploy a "two-horns" campaign strategy in the strategic metro.

Hlengwa will lead the charge alongside Sizwe Skhakhane, who has been announced as the party's eThekwini deputy mayoral candidate.

The IFP leadership expressed ultimate confidence in Hlengwa, noting that his “extensive experience, vibrant energy, and deep understanding of public administration” uniquely position him to lead a campaign focused on restoring effective, accountable, and people-centred governance to eThekwini.

Hlabisa confirmed that the IFP has successfully submitted all candidate lists to the Independent Electoral Commission, filing both its ward councillor and proportional representation lists a day before Friday's closing date.

Framing the scale of this year's participation as definitive proof of the IFP’s growing national footprint, Hlabisa highlighted that the party is launching a significantly larger campaign compared to the 2021 local government elections.

The party is rapidly expanding beyond its traditional KwaZulu-Natal stronghold, establishing sustainable political structures in provinces like Limpopo, the Free State and Mpumalanga.

Hlabisa explained that the party will field 3 188 candidates across the municipalities it is contesting (up from 2 570 candidates across 105 municipalities in 2021).

This will be 1 922 wards candidates and 1 266 proportional representative candidates, he said.

The party is contesting 108 wards in the City of Johannesburg, where Mlungisi Mabaso has been officially announced as the mayoral candidate.

“Sustainable” political structures have been established in provinces historically outside the party's main base, including Limpopo, the Free State, and Mpumalanga.

"The number of councillor candidates contesting elections outside the IFP’s traditional stronghold demonstrates that the IFP continues to grow across the country. It also reinforces a point we have consistently made: the IFP is not a regional party,” said Hlabisa.

He rejected historical labels painting the IFP as an ethnically exclusive organisation.

He pointed to the diverse demographics of the 2026 candidate list as evidence of a modern, inclusive party.

Women and young people make up the majority of the selected councillor candidates. Hlabisa emphasised that investing in young leaders is vital as the party eyes its upcoming 50-year milestone and looks ahead to its centenary celebrations in 2075.

The party's next major milestone will be the official unveiling of its policy blueprint.

The IFP will launch its Local Government Elections Manifesto on September 20 at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu.

Meanwhile, Hlabisa condemned a violent assault on three IFP members in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.

On Sunday, IFP volunteers and a local ward candidate were putting up campaign posters in the Ezingolweni, KwaNyuswa area (Ward 34) when they were confronted by individuals stating the IFP was not welcome to campaign there.

The encounter escalated into a physical assault.

Hlabisa called the incident "completely unacceptable" and made an urgent appeal to all political structures and citizens for political tolerance. He stressed that democratic elections must remain a peaceful contest of ideas, policies, and leadership, not a battleground for intimidation and physical violence.