Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Cederberg come from
Every fact on the Cederberg 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 4 Feb 2026: In February 2026 Daily Maverick reported on Cederberg. It said the ANC governed with Cederberg Eerste. Together they held six of the 11 seats. It also reported that the DA won the Ward 4 by-election. A by-election is a vote to fill one empty ward seat. It said the coalition lost its majority after this. The DA and Cederberg Eerste have four seats each. The ANC has one. The PA and FF Plus have one each.
Daily Maverick. Published 4 February 2026.
Where to look: Ward 4 (Graafwater Eland's Bay) Cederberg section: paragraph 'The ANC governs in Cederberg with CE where it has six of the 11 council seats' and paragraph beginning 'The CE/ANC coalition has now lost its majority'
As of 30 Jun 2025: These names come from the municipality's audited statements at 30 June 2025. Audited means checked by auditors. They name Councillor AM Scheepers as executive mayor. They name Councillor RR Richards as deputy executive mayor. They name Councillor M Heins as speaker of Cederberg.
Cederberg Local Municipality. Published 30 June 2025.
Where to look: General Information (p. 1-2), 'Members of the Mayoral Committee'
As of 17 Jan 2025: After the 2021 election, Cederberg Eerste, the DA and the VF+ formed a coalition with Ruben Richards (Cederberg Eerste) as mayor.
Daily Maverick. Published 17 January 2025.
Where to look: paragraph 6; photo caption
As of 17 Jan 2025: A motion of no confidence (a council vote to remove the mayor or speaker) removed Ruben Richards as mayor in July 2022.
Daily Maverick. Published 17 January 2025.
Where to look: photo caption
As of 17 Jan 2025: In January 2025 the ANC and Cederberg Eerste formed a 'Government of Local Unity' to govern Cederberg.
Daily Maverick. Published 17 January 2025.
Where to look: paragraphs 1, 2 and 8
As of 17 Jan 2025: Under the January 2025 agreement, Cederberg Eerste holds the mayor post and the speaker post (the speaker is the councillor who chairs council meetings). The ANC holds the deputy mayor post.
Daily Maverick. Published 17 January 2025.
Where to look: paragraph 14
As of 17 Jan 2025: Cederberg Eerste and the ANC announced on 15 January 2025 that they would govern Cederberg jointly as a 'Government of Local Unity'. This ended the Cederberg Eerste–DA coalition. Cederberg Eerste holds the mayor and speaker posts, and the ANC holds the deputy mayor post.
Daily Maverick. Published 17 January 2025.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-2, 8 and 14
As of 9 Nov 2021: Azrial Scheepers was elected as an ANC ward councillor (Ward 1) for Cederberg in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: WC012 - Cederberg rows, ward 10102001 (SCHEEPERS, AZRIAL MAVRICK, African National Congress)
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 11 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 2 of 2, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). Cederberg First Residents Association: 4 (2 ward, 2 party). Democratic Alliance: 4 (3 ward, 1 party). African National Congress: 1 (1 ward, 0 party). Patriotic Alliance: 1 (0 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 11 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 Cederberg a clean audit (unqualified with no findings) for 2024-25. That is better than in 2023-24, when it got an unqualified opinion with findings.
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)
Nothing matches. Try another word.