Haniff Hoosen. Not well known out of political circles and so his nomination as the DA’s eThekwini mayoral candidate for the 2026 elections came as a surprise. Who is he? Zohra Teke joined him for some tea to find out…

The DA works hard to maintain a very polished public image – and that extends to its leadership and those on the front line. Articulate, well spoken and, well, kind of bourgeois. Just hours before the party’s announcement of Hoosen as the DA’s eThekwini mayoral candidate, I received a distressed call from a DA insider. “I’m so upset. I cant believe it. How could they choose HIM? A better option would have been Christopher Pappas. Hoosen doesn’t speak a single black language and will not resonate with black voters. This is a disaster for the DA,” shrieked the caller, clearly distressed.

Three days later, I’m sitting across from Hoosen who agrees to an interview. I watch him intently as he sips his tea, a slight slurp as he places his teaspoon on the table and not back on the saucer. Not very bourgeois I observe, that shrieking call echoing in my mind. We listen, we don’t judge, mental note to self, as Hoosen now places his tea glass too on the table – again, not on the saucer. ‘Manners maketh the man, he’s the hero of the day,’ sang Sting and it plays in my head. But hey, it’s the DA’s man, let’s see what makes him so special.

Who is he really?

The 53 year old is no stranger to politics, tea etiquette aside. His controversial background includes a stint as an MP for the Independent Democrats before joining the DA where his rise began. There, despite his quiet, soft spoken character he was also previously the DA’s eThekwini mayoral candidate in 2016 which he lost to the ANC’s Zandile Gumede who is currently facing corruption charges.

Hoosen went on to become the DA’s provincial KZN chair, Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and later the DA’s spokesperson on the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General until his retirement from Parliament in 2024. Those who have worked with him sing his praises. “Solid guy. The party could not have chosen a better candidate. He gets things done,” said the DA’s Bradley Singh.

For Hoosen, its a bitter sweet moment.

“I was happy to finally catch up on time with family after I left Parliament. We have a home in Dubai where my daughter is studying so my wife and I enjoy chilling and travelling. I then received quite a few calls from senior leadership and ordinary members of the party asking me to apply for the mayoral candidacy.

“It took a bit of thinking because I was kind of done with active politics. But I understood the need and the party’s calling. And I think over the last year or so during our regular walks on the beach my wife and I would have these conversations about how things are falling apart in the city. So while I wanted to enjoy my time a part of me felt for 30 years I’ve been active in politics and this time we have a real chance at taking eThekwini. A real chance. And I knew I had to go for it,” he explains.

He pauses, sips his tea. Again, places the glass and the teaspoon on the table, not on the saucer. But, I’ve warmed up to him a little so it doesn’t bother me as much now.

There’s a relatability about him. A normal, hard working family man persona. No, he’s not the ideal DA poster boy. Not white, not black. And in this, Zulu kingdom, where cultural pride and racial politics reign supreme, I wonder if his humility alone would be enough to clinch the deal. And that racial undertone is hard to ignore. And so I ask him about it directly.

“You don’t speak isiZulu. You were part of the DA team behind those posters during the riots which praised residents in Phoenix for fighting so called looters and called them heroes- leading to an escalation of tension and violence between Indian and black communities. How do you come back from that and be a people’s mayor?”

Hoosen shifts a little, readying for his response, leans forward and looks me in the eye.

“I regret not learning Zulu. That’s something I always regret. And that poster? It inflamed the situation back then. I absolutely regret that. We got it wrong, even if that was never our intention. It was an impulsive decision and we got into a lot of trouble with the party for that. I regret that and wish we could turn back time but we cant and we can’t change what happened yesterday.

“I can change what happens tomorrow. And in the same way as how anyone has a right to judge me on what I’ve done yesterday they must judge me on what I do tomorrow. When you’re not in power, all you can do is issue statements in broad ideas, but when you’re in power, you have the ability to actually prove to people that you genuinely care by your actions and thats what I want to do,” he adds.

He seems passionate about the city and genuine in wanting to redress his past mistakes. He understands too that he’s not a popular choice, that his many years out of the limelight makes it difficult for residents who don’t know him to trust him to do the job. And he lacks the charm and charisma – unlike Pappas who knows too well how to work the public in his favour. His fluency in isiZulu, laugh and easy going personality makes him instantly likeable.

Hoosen, on the other hand, reminds me of that accountant tucked away in the back office who is forced to come out and join the office party every now and then. He has the experience and can sail the ship through choppy waters, just don’t expect him to join the dancing to Sista Bethina after. And for most, a captain who can sail stormy seas is better than anyone who can dance to amapiano when your livelihood depends on it.

Like all politicians, Hoosen has grand plans to save South Africa – more specifically, eThekwini. Improve service delivery, rescue residents from water and electricity cuts, create more jobs, eliminate corruption, all the usual promises. After all, there’s a R64.2 billion budget at stake in eThekwini.

As the third largest city in the country with one of the biggest budgets controlled by the ANC, the battle for control of this council has always been fierce. The ANC, despite its dwindling numbers, has managed to retain control through fierce horse trading post elections. It’s been strategic and paid off. But, the seismic political shift since the formation of the Government of National Unity and emergence of the uMkhonto we Sizwe party is already a sign of what’s to come. And local elections is the lion’s den. It’s the bread and butter issues. Not a popularity contest like the national vote. The 2026 local government election is about communities and service delivery. And that, says Hoosen, is where the DA can prove its track record.

“This is not just about me. I don’t come alone. I come with a team of people and local government experts who have helped us to turn around all of the municipalities, wherever people have given us an opportunity. And so my message is simply this. You can dislike me for what I’ve said, what I look like. Some people say, I’m a Muslim guy and I should not be trusted. You could dislike me for all of this. I don’t mind. I respect those views.

“But for the right person for the job we need to go past race politics. And we need to ask the question, ‘what options do we have?’ If we leave this city in the hands of this government for another five years, then we must leave the city. We can differ on our views and judge each other for that but as South Africans we must drive change to improve lives here. There are deeply emotive issues in this city and Im not blinded to them. But I know we can change this city, we can turn it around for everyone,” Hoosen says emphatically.

As he beckons the waitress over for another tea, I ask him a clichéd question.

“What’s your weakness?”

He leans back, pats his chest quietly and gives me a feeble smile.

“I’m over-compassionate sometimes.”

He then tells me how, one morning, while walking on the beach with his wife he was approached by a young man, begging.

“I took him home, gave him a whole lot of new t-shirts from my wholesale business which I was running at the time. Told him to sell it and come back and I will then give him more once sold. Few days later we spot him back on the beach, begging, no t-shirts. He looked very guilty but I let it be. Another time there was a man who said he could earn a living from fishing but didn’t have a rod. So I gave him one. Again, a few days later, he was seen without it. Turns out he sold it. That’s me,” he adds, looking sheepish for admitting to being fooled twice.

Whether he’s fooled twice as he once again throws his hat in the ring for the coveted position of eThekwini mayor is left to be seen. Until then, Hoosen is the DA’s man on a mission to win the hearts of a people who are forgiving, but don’t forget.

* Zohra Teke is an independent contributor and freelance journalist. 

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. 

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