Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Abaqulusi come from
Every fact on the Abaqulusi page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
Which party controls the council?
Dated reports
As of 19 Mar 2026: The IFP won ward 12 from the ANC in a March 2026 by-election. The IFP now holds 22 of the 45 AbaQulusi council seats. That is one seat short of an outright majority. The ANC moved from 14 to 13 seats.
Daily Maverick. Published 19 March 2026.
Where to look: Ward 12 (eMondlo Kromellenboog) entry, council arithmetic paragraph
As of 31 Aug 2025: Mr S E Mkhwanazi was mayor and Ms N P Ndlela was speaker, according to the audited annual financial statements (accounts checked by an auditor). They cover the year ended 30 June 2025.
AbaQulusi Local Municipality. Published 31 August 2025.
Where to look: page 1, General Information; approval on page 4 dated 31 August 2025
As of 21 Jun 2023: In June 2023, the council elected Eric Mkhwanazi as mayor and Nonkululeko Ndlela as speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings). The IFP (21 seats) had support from the DA (2) and the Freedom Front Plus (1). The other side was a group made up of the ANC, NFP and EFF.
Daily News. Published 21 June 2023.
Where to look: paragraphs 1, 2, 4 and 15
As of 1 Dec 2022: The IFP held ward 13 in a November 2022 by-election. A ward is an area with its own councillor. The IFP won 21 of 45 seats in 2021. It holds the post of mayor with the backing of smaller opposition parties.
Daily Maverick. Published 1 December 2022.
Where to look: Ward 13 (AbaQulusi) entry
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 45 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 3 of 3, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). Inkatha Freedom Party: 22 (19 ward, 3 party). African National Congress: 13 (3 ward, 10 party). National Freedom Party: 4 (0 ward, 4 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). Democratic Alliance: 2 (1 ward, 1 party). Freedom Front Plus: 1 (0 ward, 1 party).
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: winning party per ward for every by-election since 2021 (dashboard data files: MapsJason/2021/ByElections.js and LoadCouncillorsService); read 2026-10-18
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: ward councillor rows for this council (party per ward elected in 2021)
The seats now
Who holds the 45 seats now, counted up to 24 Jun 2026. How we count: This is our own count, not an official IEC table. We start with the 2021 party seats from the IEC. Then we add the party that last won each ward, in 2021 or in a by-election. Party seats stay with their party, and councillors can't switch parties. So only ward by-elections change these totals. An empty seat is counted with the party that last held it. The IEC lists by-elections on 5 Oct 2022, but it does not show who won them. So any ward that changed hands that day is not counted.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: winning party per ward for every by-election since 2021 (dashboard data files: MapsJason/2021/ByElections.js and LoadCouncillorsService); read 2026-10-18
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: ward councillor rows for this council (party per ward elected in 2021)
What the official records say
Audit result
The Auditor-General gave Abaqulusi an unqualified audit opinion with findings for 2024-25. It got the same result in 2023-24.
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: 'Audit outcome for 2024-25' box and the change from 2023-24 under it (audit of separate financial statements, finalised by 30 April 2026)
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