Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Dr Beyers Naude come from
Every fact on the Dr Beyers Naude page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
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Which party controls the council?
Dated reports
As of 6 Aug 2026: Willem Safers, mayor of Dr Beyers Naude, received two vehicles from the Sarah Baartman District Municipality on 6 August 2026.
Sarah Baartman District Municipality. Published 14 August 2026.
Where to look: news item dated 14 August 2026, paragraph 2 ('Mayor Willem Safers from Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality received a Toyota Hilux and a Toyota Corolla on 6 August 2026')
As of 19 Mar 2026: The PA won Ward 7 from the ANC in a March 2026 by-election. The ANC now has 10 of the 24 seats, the same as the DA.
Daily Maverick. Published 19 March 2026.
Where to look: section 'Eastern Cape', Dr Beyers Naude Ward 7, 'The by-election' ('the ANC falls from 11 seats to 10 in the 24-seat council')
As of 8 Dec 2025: Councillor W.J. Safers is listed as mayor of Dr Beyers Naude in the municipality's audited financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2025.
Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality. Published 8 December 2025.
Where to look: p. 3, General Information, Mayor
As of 9 Jun 2022: The ANC took control of the Dr Beyers Naude council after Willem Safers (ANC) was elected mayor. Safers won with the speaker's casting vote (the vote that breaks a tie). The speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings) is from the Compatriots of South Africa (CSA). The CSA and the ANC are in a coalition (a group of parties that run the council together).
News24. Published 9 June 2022.
Where to look: paragraphs 1 and 4-6
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 24 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 1 of 2, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 10 (6 ward, 4 party). Democratic Alliance: 10 (5 ward, 5 party). Compatriots of South Africa: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Patriotic Alliance: 1 (1 ward, 0 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 24 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 Dr Beyers Naude a qualified audit opinion for 2024-25. That is worse 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)
Doubt it can pay its bills
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Dr Beyers Naude in 2024-25. It did not report one the year before.
Auditor-General of South Africa. Published 24 June 2026.
Where to look: p. 50 (PDF page 54), 'Sixty-two municipalities with going concern uncertainty and consecutive years in this position', Eastern Cape, 'Dr Beyers Naudé LM' row; p. 49 explains the measure
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