Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about the City of Ekurhuleni come from
Every fact on the City of Ekurhuleni page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
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Who is the mayor, and which parties run the council?
Nkosindiphile Xhakaza (ANC)
Mayor from 18 Feb 2026 to now. Parties running the council: ANC, PA, National Freedom Party.
EWN. Published 18 February 2026.
Where to look: Paragraphs 1-3 and 9: the EFF pulled out of the ANC-led coalition after the Tuesday-night reshuffle and declined to stay on the mayoral committee
Daily Maverick. Published 4 May 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph 41: the city is governed by an ANC-led minority coalition including the Patriotic Alliance and the National Freedom Party, after the ANC-EFF alliance collapsed in February 2026
Daily Maverick. Published 1 October 2026.
Where to look: Ekurhuleni mayoral candidates section: 'The ANC's list of potential candidates includes incumbent mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza'
Nkosindiphile Xhakaza (ANC)
Mayor from 11 Apr 2024 to 17 Feb 2026. Parties running the council: ANC, EFF, African Independent Congress.
City of Ekurhuleni. Published 18 October 2026.
Where to look: Opening line: 'was elected as the Executive Mayor on 11 April 2024 during an extraordinary council meeting' (page undated; date = day read)
Daily Maverick. Published 11 April 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 3: Xhakaza elected unopposed as executive mayor at an extraordinary council meeting on Thursday 11 April 2024
EWN. Published 15 April 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 2 (EFF retains its five mayoral committee seats, ANC has four); paragraph 3 (former mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana is MMC for Corporate and Shared Services); the embedded EWN post below the article names him as AIC
Daily Maverick. Published 19 February 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph 1 (reshuffle on Tuesday night); paragraph 4 (EFF turned down two posts, had four, pulled out of the coalition); paragraph 6 (coalition of ANC, EFF, ActionSA and PA)
IOL. Published 18 February 2026.
Where to look: Paragraphs 21-22: ActionSA says it was not part of any agreement and will not join the mayor's government
Sivuyile Ngodwana (African Independent Congress)
Mayor from 30 Mar 2023 to 28 Mar 2024. Parties running the council: ANC, EFF.
Daily Maverick. Published 30 March 2023.
Where to look: Paragraph 1 (update: Ngodwana elected with 129 votes to Campbell's 75); paragraph 3 (motion tabled by the ANC-EFF coalition and seven smaller parties)
Sowetan. Published 31 March 2023.
Where to look: Paragraph 2 (Ngodwana beat Campbell 129 to 75); paragraph 7 (motion supported by the ANC, PA, UDM, EFF, PAC and the 'Super Seven')
Daily Maverick. Published 11 April 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 5: Ngodwana (AIC) removed by a motion of no confidence on 28 March 2024, 42 votes to 32, after the ANC and DA abstained
Tania Campbell (DA)
Mayor from 22 Nov 2021 to 30 Mar 2023. Parties running the council: DA, ActionSA, IFP, FF+, ACDP, Congress of the People.
Sowetan. Published 22 November 2021.
Where to look: Paragraphs 1-2: Campbell elected at the inaugural council meeting on Monday (22 Nov 2021), 116 to 105 votes
Daily Maverick. Published 30 March 2023.
Where to look: Paragraph 2 (removed 30 Mar 2023, 126 to 91); paragraph 6 (ousted October 2022, back two weeks later); paragraph 10 (ActionSA left the coalition in November 2022)
TimesLIVE. Published 30 March 2023.
Where to look: Paragraph 1 (ousted on Thursday 30 Mar 2023); paragraph 2 (removed in October 2022, reinstated by the South Gauteng High Court); paragraph 12 (16 months since her election in November 2021)
Daily Maverick. Published 4 May 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph 39: 'Following the 2021 local elections, a DA-led minority coalition took control of the metro, electing Tania Campbell as mayor'
Sunday Times. Published 13 December 2021.
Where to look: Paragraph 2 ('The DA has partnered with ActionSA, IFP, FF Plus, COPE and ACDP to form majority governments in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni'); paragraph 12 (Joburg mayoral committee: ActionSA three posts, IFP, ACDP and FF Plus one each, the rest DA); paragraph 13 (Phalatse: 'the nature of the minority government that we had'); paragraph 14 (Ekurhuleni mayoral committee: ActionSA two, COPE and IFP one each, DA seven)
Sowetan. Published 14 October 2022.
Where to look: Paragraph 1 ('Ekurhuleni's minority government'); paragraph 6 ('a coalition government consisting of the DA, ActionSA, ACDP, COPE, IFP and the FF+ with a combined 94 seats'); paragraph 8 (224 seats in council)
Sowetan. Published 10 November 2022.
Where to look: Paragraph 2 (Campbell reinstated as mayor on Tuesday with the EFF's help; 'run by a minority government'); paragraph 3 (124 votes to Dlabathi's 99); paragraph 4 (minority government of the DA, ActionSA, IFP, FF+ and ACDP, 93 seats); paragraph 5 ('former coalition partner, the PA'); paragraph 6 (113 seats needed to pass budgets)
Sowetan. Published 19 January 2023.
Where to look: Paragraph 1 (PA going back to the DA-led coalitions in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni); paragraph 5 ('the PA, ActionSA, DA, FF+, ACDP and IFP multiparty coalition'); paragraph 11 (Ekurhuleni coalition of the DA, ActionSA, Cope, FF Plus, ACDP and IFP has 100 seats with the PA); paragraph 12 (113 seats needed); paragraph 14 (Joburg DA-led coalition has 137 seats)
Dated reports
As of 16 Oct 2026: On 11 April 2024 the council held a special meeting. There, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza was elected executive mayor. An executive mayor makes many of the council's decisions.
City of Ekurhuleni. Page is undated.
Where to look: 'Mayor's profile' page (undated, accessed 2026-10-16): 'was elected as the Executive Mayor on 11 April 2024 during an extraordinary council meeting'
As of 22 Aug 2026: Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has been Ekurhuleni mayor since April 2024.
Daily Maverick. Published 22 August 2026.
Where to look: Ekurhuleni paragraph (about para 20): 'has been Ekurhuleni mayor since April 2024'
As of 4 May 2026: A minority coalition led by the ANC governs the council. The PA and the NFP are in it. It formed after the ANC's alliance with the EFF ended in February 2026.
Daily Maverick. Published 4 May 2026.
Where to look: paragraph beginning 'While the ANC remains the largest party in the city...'
As of 4 May 2026: Nkosindiphile Xhakaza (ANC) has been mayor since April 2024. Before that, Sivuyile Ngodwana (AIC) was mayor. A motion of no confidence removed Ngodwana. This is a council vote to remove the mayor or speaker. Then Xhakaza took over.
Daily Maverick. Published 4 May 2026.
Where to look: introduction; paragraph beginning 'She was succeeded by Sivuyile Ngodwana...'
As of 4 May 2026: A minority coalition led by the ANC runs Ekurhuleni. A minority coalition has fewer than half of the seats. It includes the Patriotic Alliance and the National Freedom Party. In February 2026 the alliance between the ANC and the EFF broke down. This coalition formed after that. Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, an ANC councillor, was elected mayor in April 2024.
Daily Maverick. Published 4 May 2026.
Where to look: 'The next mayor's inheritance' section: 'currently governed through an unstable ANC-led minority coalition' 'including the Patriotic Alliance and the National Freedom Party'; paragraph on Ngodwana/Xhakaza (re-read 2026-10-18)
As of 5 Mar 2026: The ATM's John Senona was elected council Speaker with 94 votes. He is the ATM's only councillor in Ekurhuleni. The ANC and minority parties backed him. He beat the EFF's Nkululeko Dunga. He replaced the ANC's Dora Mlambo, who moved to the mayoral committee. The DA abstained.
TimesLIVE. Published 5 March 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-5
As of 5 Mar 2026: John Senona (ATM) was elected Speaker of the City of Ekurhuleni council with 94 votes. He defeated the EFF's Nkululeko Dunga.
EWN. Published 5 March 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-3 and vote tally
As of 26 Feb 2026: The EFF withdrew from the coalition after its mayoral committee posts were cut from four to two. The coalition led by the ANC in Ekurhuleni no longer has a majority. Speaker Dora Mlambo resigned.
Daily Maverick. Published 26 February 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 3-4 (EFF posts cut, EFF pulled out); paragraph 7 (Speaker Mlambo resigned); paragraph 19 (seats ANC 86, DA 65, EFF 31, ActionSA 15, FF+ 8, IFP 2, ACDP 2, others 12); paragraph 21 ('the ANC-led coalition in Ekurhuleni no longer has a majority')
As of 18 Feb 2026: Before February 2026 the Ekurhuleni coalition was made up of the ANC, EFF, ActionSA and PA. Together they had 136 of the 224 seats. The ANC has 86 seats, the DA 65, the EFF 31, ActionSA 15 and the FF+ 8. The EFF and ActionSA rejected posts after Mayor Xhakaza's reshuffle.
Sowetan. Published 18 February 2026.
Where to look: paragraph 1 (coalition partners EFF and ActionSA rejected invitations); paragraph 8 (seat counts); paragraph 9 ('The present coalition is made up of the ANC, EFF, ActionSA and PA, totalling 136 seats'; 113 needed)
As of 18 Feb 2026: Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza made changes to the mayoral committee. A coalition of many parties endorsed (backed) these changes. It was made up of 13 of the 16 political parties in the Government of Local Unity.
eNCA. Published 18 February 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-2
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 224 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: pp. 4-5 of 5, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 86 (78 ward, 8 party). Democratic Alliance: 65 (32 ward, 33 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 31 (0 ward, 31 party). ActionSA: 15 (0 ward, 15 party). Freedom Front Plus: 8 (0 ward, 8 party). Patriotic Alliance: 4 (2 ward, 2 party). African Independent Congress: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). Inkatha Freedom Party: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). African Christian Democratic Party: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). African Transformation Movement: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Congress of the People: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Independent Citizens Movement: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Independent Ratepayers Association of SA: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). National Freedom Party: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Pan Africanist Congress of Azania: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). United Democratic Movement: 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 224 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 the City of Ekurhuleni 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 the City of Ekurhuleni 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', Gauteng, 'City of Ekurhuleni Metro' row; p. 49 explains the measure
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