Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about eThekwini come from
Every fact on the eThekwini page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
Who is the mayor, and which parties run the council?
Cyril Xaba (ANC)
Mayor from 10 Jul 2024 to now. Parties running the council: ANC, IFP, National Freedom Party.
EWN. Published 10 July 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 1 ('has been elected as the new mayor of the eThekwini Metro Municipality'); paragraph 3 ('elected unopposed in a special council meeting')
The Mercury. Published 12 July 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 4 ('ANC-designated Cyril Xaba'); paragraph 5 ('the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP, who already have a working arrangement at provincial level, extend this arrangement at a municipal level'); paragraph 6 (speaker ANC, deputy mayor NFP, MPAC EFF). Paragraph 1 is the article's first line after the photo caption.
Daily Maverick. Published 10 July 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 13 ('In Exco, the ANC has four members, the DA three, the IFP one and the other is from the National Freedom Party')
Sunday Times. Published 28 August 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 1 (the DA in KwaZulu-Natal 'will continue to occupy opposition benches in eThekwini'); paragraph 2 (DA-ANC coalition talks deadlocked); paragraph 6 (the DA 'was satisfied with its role of opposition in the metro')
Daily News. Published 9 September 2024.
Where to look: Counting 'Durban — Despite working well...' as paragraph 1: paragraph 1 (the DA turned down the ANC's request to work together in eThekwini); paragraph 6 (the IFP's Mdu Nkosi chairs the Trading Services committee); paragraph 8 (Macpherson: 'in the best interests of the residents to remain in opposition')
The Mercury. Published 31 March 2025.
Where to look: Paragraph 2 ('The IFP is part of a government of unity in the city and leads the Trading Services committee'; 'The party said it took exception to claims that, by virtue of being part of the governance structure, it is running the municipality'); paragraph 6 (IFP councillor Jonathan Annipen: 'This municipality is not run by the ANC and IFP alone' and 'just one Exco seat and a caucus of 17 members'). Paragraph 1 is the first paragraph after the standfirst and photo credit ('The IFP in the eThekwini Municipality is pushing back...').
Daily Maverick. Published 14 October 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph 54 (claim by the IFP: 'Hlengwa lashed out at Hoosen for being in opposition in eThekwini but also occupying three of the city's executive committee seats'). Paragraph 1 is the first body paragraph ('Pollsters are predicting a major shake-up...'), after the standfirst and photo credits; section headings are not counted.
Mxolisi Kaunda (ANC)
Mayor from 24 Nov 2021 to 31 May 2024. Parties running the council: ANC, Abantu Batho Congress.
Daily Maverick. Published 24 November 2021.
Where to look: Paragraph 5 ('Incumbent Mxolisi Kaunda ended up being voted in with 113 votes to the 104'); paragraph 21 (IFP, EFF, ActionSA, ACDP and FF Plus backed the DA; 'The rest of the smaller parties supported the ANC'); paragraph 23 (Exco: four ANC, three DA, one each IFP and EFF, one 'donated' seat to the ABC)
EWN. Published 10 July 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph 2 ('Kaunda was recalled at the end of May to serve in Parliament's National Council of Provinces')
Daily Maverick. Published 14 October 2026.
Where to look: Paragraph 32 (Xaba, 'whose party secured 96 of 222 council seats in 2021'). Paragraph 1 is the first body paragraph ('Pollsters are predicting a major shake-up...'), after the standfirst and photo credits; section headings are not counted.
Dated reports
On the council's website, no date shown: This is from National Treasury's list of municipal officials. It names Cyril Xaba as mayor of eThekwini. It names Zandile Prudence Myeni as deputy mayor.
National Treasury. Page is undated.
Where to look: undated, read 2026-10-18; rows 'Mayor/Executive Mayor' and 'Deputy Mayor/Executive Mayor' (parties not shown)
As of 14 Oct 2026: Cyril Xaba (ANC) is the current mayor of eThekwini ahead of the November 2026 elections.
Daily Maverick. Published 14 October 2026.
Where to look: lead photo caption ('Cyril Xaba, eThekwini mayor (ANC)') and last paragraph of 'MK promises radical change' section ('incumbent African National Congress mayor Cyril Xaba')
As of 14 Oct 2026: Claim by the IFP about the DA, reported by Daily Maverick. Mkhuleko Hlengwa is the IFP's candidate for mayor. Hlengwa said the DA calls itself opposition in eThekwini. But Hlengwa said the DA holds three seats. These are seats on the city's executive committee.
Daily Maverick. Published 14 October 2026.
Where to look: 'Wobbly coalition' section, paragraph beginning 'In the ENCA debate' (a party's statement, not independently confirmed)
As of 31 Mar 2025: The IFP is part of a government of unity in eThekwini. It leads the Trading Services committee. An IFP councillor said the party has one executive committee seat and 17 councillors.
The Mercury. Published 31 March 2025.
Where to look: paragraph 1 ('part of a government of unity in the city and leads the Trading Services committee') and paragraph 5 (Annipen: 'just one Exco seat and a caucus of 17 members'); date from page metadata
As of 13 Oct 2024: In October 2024, eThekwini was under a Section 154 support intervention. The KZN COGTA MEC is the province's minister for local government. He said he still thought a Section 139 intervention was needed. Mayor Cyril Xaba was glad of the help the city got.
Sunday Tribune. Published 13 October 2024.
Where to look: paragraphs 1, 3, 5 and 7 ('Section 154, which the municipality was under')
As of 9 Sep 2024: The DA turned down the ANC's request to work together in eThekwini. Its caucus leader (the head of its group of councillors) did not accept the Human Settlements committee chair. The party said it would remain in opposition. The IFP's Mdu Nkosi now chairs the Trading Services committee.
Daily News. Published 9 September 2024.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-2, 4 (Trading Services chaired by the IFP's Mdu Nkosi) and 6 (Macpherson: 'remain in opposition')
As of 28 Aug 2024: The DA in KwaZulu-Natal said it would stay in opposition in eThekwini. This came after talks on running the city together fell apart.
Sunday Times. Published 28 August 2024.
Where to look: paragraphs 1, 2 and 4
As of 12 Jul 2024: After Xaba's election, the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP took their working arrangement in the province to eThekwini too. The speaker post stays with the ANC. The speaker is the councillor who chairs council meetings. The deputy mayor post stays with the NFP. The DA and IFP were expected to chair the split infrastructure and human settlements committees. MPAC stays with the EFF. MPAC is the Municipal Public Accounts Committee.
The Mercury. Published 12 July 2024.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-2 (committee split, reported as expected to be ratified by Exco), 4 ('ANC-designated Cyril Xaba'), 5 ('the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP, who already have a working arrangement at provincial level'), 6 (speaker ANC, deputy mayor NFP, MPAC EFF)
As of 10 Jul 2024: The ANC recalled Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda at the end of May 2024 to serve in Parliament's National Council of Provinces. It put forward Cyril Xaba as its candidate for mayor.
EWN. Published 10 July 2024.
Where to look: paragraphs 2 and 6 (Xaba's candidacy is reported as 'Eyewitness News understands'; the article does not report the vote result)
As of 10 Jul 2024: Cyril Xaba was elected mayor of eThekwini with no other candidate. This happened at a special council meeting on 10 July 2024.
EWN. Published 10 July 2024.
Where to look: paragraph 1 ('has been elected as the new mayor of the eThekwini Metro Municipality') and paragraph 3 ('elected unopposed in a special council meeting')
As of 10 Jul 2024: Zandile Myeni (NFP) was acting mayor. Myeni put Xaba's name forward. An ANC councillor formally backed this. ActionSA put forward the DA's Thabani Mthethwa. ActionSA's nomination was turned down.
Daily News. Published 10 July 2024.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-3
As of 10 Jul 2024: In July 2024 the executive committee had four ANC members, three DA members and one IFP member.
Daily Maverick. Published 10 July 2024.
Where to look: paragraph 12 ('In Exco, the ANC has four members, the DA three, the IFP one')
As of 9 Nov 2021: Zandile Prudence Myeni was elected in eThekwini in 2021. Myeni was a National Freedom Party PR councillor (a seat from the party's list, to match its share of the votes).
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: ETH - eThekwini: NATIONAL FREEDOM PARTY PR(1) MYENI ZANDILE PRUDENCE
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 222 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: pp. 3-6 of 6, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 96 (75 ward, 21 party). Democratic Alliance: 56 (31 ward, 25 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 24 (0 ward, 24 party). Inkatha Freedom Party: 17 (3 ward, 14 party). ActionSA: 4 (0 ward, 4 party). Abantu Batho Congress: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). Active Citizens Coalition: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). African Christian Democratic Party: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). African Independent Congress: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). African Democratic Change: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). African People First: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). African Transformation Movement: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Al Jama-ah: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Democratic Liberal Congress: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Justice and Employment Party: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). KZN Independence: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Minorities of South Africa: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Minority Front: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). National Freedom Party: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). People's Freedom Party: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). People's Revolutionary Movement: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Truly Alliance: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). uMkhonto weSizwe Party: 1 (1 ward, 0 party). United Independent Movement: 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 222 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 eThekwini 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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