Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Kannaland come from
Every fact on the Kannaland 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 21 Oct 2025: Jeffrey Donson is executive mayor of Kannaland. He is the leader of the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa). He returned to the post in October 2022 after new coalition agreements in the council.
IOL. Published 21 October 2025.
Where to look: paragraphs 2-3 ('is still serving as executive mayor'; 'As leader of the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa), Donson returned to power...') and paragraph 9 ('in October 2022, Donson returned to office')
As of 25 Aug 2024: Two regional parties run Kannaland, in an arrangement that leaves out both the DA and the ANC.
Daily Maverick. Published 25 August 2024.
Where to look: paragraph 13
As of 24 Nov 2021: After the 2021 election the ANC and Icosa worked together to govern Kannaland, with Jeffrey Donson as mayor.
Daily Maverick. Published 24 November 2021.
Where to look: paragraph 5
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 7 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: pp. 1-2 of 2, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa: 3 (3 ward, 0 party). African National Congress: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). Democratic Alliance: 1 (1 ward, 0 party). Kannaland Independent Party: 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 7 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 Kannaland a disclaimer of 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 Kannaland is ongoing. It began in December 2023, under section 139(5)(a) of the Constitution.
Department of Cooperative Governance. Published 3 July 2026.
Where to look: reply (a), table of municipalities under intervention, 'Kannaland LM' row: type of intervention, date instituted, status Ongoing
In May 2025, Parliament's Budget Office described the recovery plan like this: "FRP was never prepared due to municipal resistance. The municipality is now committed to a new FRP after political intervention: The FRP preparation process is to commence in January 2025"
Parliamentary Budget Office. Published 1 May 2025.
Where to look: p. 10, Table 1 'Active municipal interventions and their performance', 'Kannaland LM' row, FRP IMPLEMENTATION STATUS column
Doubt it can pay its bills
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Kannaland in 2024-25, for the seventh year in a row.
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', Western Cape, 'Kannaland LM' row; p. 49 explains the measure
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