Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Emfuleni come from
Every fact on the Emfuleni 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 25 Jun 2026: Hassan Mako is the ANC's mayor in Emfuleni.
IOL. Published 25 June 2026.
Where to look: paragraph 17 ('The ANC mayor, Hassan Mako, ...'), in an article on the Evaton West (Emfuleni) by-election
As of 14 Jun 2026: Hassan Mako replaced Sipho Radebe as Emfuleni mayor in June 2026.
Sowetan. Published 14 June 2026.
Where to look: body paragraph 3 ('new Emfuleni mayor Hassan Mako'); final paragraph ('Mako replaced Sipho Radebe, whom the ANC recalled two weeks ago')
As of 11 Jun 2026: Hassan Mako was elected mayor of Emfuleni. Mako is the ANC's regional treasurer in Sedibeng. Mako replaced Sipho Radebe, who resigned after the ANC's provincial leadership stepped in. This came after the ANC lost ward 28 to the DA.
Sunday World. Published 11 June 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-4
As of 10 Jun 2026: Hassan Mako was elected Emfuleni mayor at a council meeting in Vanderbijlpark on Wednesday 10 June 2026. He was formerly the finance MMC (a member of the mayoral committee). The ANC announced him as its mayor. He is also its mayoral candidate for the 2026 election.
The Citizen. Published 10 June 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-4 (photo caption and 'Mako was elected mayor at a council sitting in Vanderbijlpark on Wednesday morning')
As of 29 May 2026: The ANC, EFF, PAC, FF+, Community Solidarity Association and Vaal Civic Movement govern Emfuleni together.
News24. Published 29 May 2026.
Where to look: body paragraph 7 ('The ANC, EFF, PAC, FF+, Community Solidarity Association (CSA), and the Vaal Civic Movement (VAAL) co-govern...') (date from URL; page body gives no date)
As of 29 May 2026: Sipho Radebe had been mayor since November 2021. He stepped down in May 2026 after the ANC's Gauteng leadership asked him to.
News24. Published 29 May 2026.
Where to look: body paragraphs 1, 2, 4 and 8 (date from URL; page body gives no date)
As of 28 May 2026: The DA won ward 28 in Evaton West from the ANC in a by-election (a vote to fill one empty ward seat). This left the ANC with 37 seats and the DA with 25 in the 90-seat council.
Daily Maverick. Published 28 May 2026.
Where to look: 'Ward 28 (Evaton West) Emfuleni, Sedibeng' section: paragraph 11 ('The DA beat the ANC by eight votes') and paragraph 17 ('The ANC falls to 37 seats in the 90-seat council, while the DA climbs to 25.')
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 90 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: pp. 3-4 of 4, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 37 (37 ward, 0 party). Democratic Alliance: 25 (8 ward, 17 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 14 (0 ward, 14 party). Freedom Front Plus: 6 (0 ward, 6 party). Community Solidarity Association: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). Pan Africanist Congress of Azania: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). African Christian Democratic Party: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). New Horizon Movement: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Patriotic Alliance: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Vaal Alternative Alliance Lekgotla: 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 90 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 Emfuleni a qualified audit opinion 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)
Government stepped in
In July 2026, the Minister of Cooperative Governance told Parliament that the intervention at Emfuleni is ongoing. It began in June 2018, under section 139(5) of the Constitution.
Department of Cooperative Governance. Published 3 July 2026.
Where to look: reply (a), table of municipalities under intervention, 'Emfuleni LM' row: type of intervention, date instituted, status Ongoing
Doubt it can pay its bills
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Emfuleni 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, 'Emfuleni LM' row; p. 49 explains the measure
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