Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Madibeng come from
Every fact on the Madibeng 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
On the council's website, no date shown: Councillor Douglas Maimane is executive mayor, according to the municipality's homepage.
Madibeng Local Municipality. Page is undated.
Where to look: homepage mayor panel; undated, read 2026-10-18
As of 21 Jul 2026: TimesLIVE referred to Douglas Maimane as Madibeng mayor on 21 July 2026.
TimesLIVE. Published 21 July 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 2 and 7 (names him as mayor; does not discuss the recall)
As of 15 Jul 2026: Douglas Maimane (ANC) was still Madibeng mayor in mid-July 2026. He had got a court interdict. This is a court order that stops something. It stopped the ANC's recall of him. It also stopped a council sitting on a no-confidence motion. The provincial government said the municipality was not under administration. That means it was not run by an administrator. An administrator is an official sent in to run the council. The province said the municipality was carrying out a financial recovery plan. This is a plan to fix its money problems. It is under section 139(5)(c).
TimesLIVE. Published 15 July 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 3, 5, 6 and 17
As of 3 Jun 2026: The Citizen reported on 3 June 2026 that the ANC recalled Douglas Seleke Maimane as executive mayor and PR councillor. The report names no replacement or acting mayor.
The Citizen. Published 3 June 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1 and 3
As of 3 Jun 2026: The Citizen reported on 3 June 2026 that Douglas Maimane had been recalled as Madibeng mayor because of internal ANC disputes. It also reported that he had taken the party to court. The ANC said the matter was part of a legal process.
The Citizen. Published 3 June 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 3 and the last three paragraphs (Maimane recalled; legal process)
As of 2 Jun 2026: On 2 June 2026, the ANC's North West provincial executive committee recalled Douglas Maimane. The recall was from his posts as Madibeng executive mayor and PR councillor. An executive mayor makes many of the council's decisions. A PR councillor holds a seat that a party gets from its list. The seats match the party's share of the votes. The recall was to start at once. It was to be carried out 'through the lawful processes of council'. The report names no one to take his place.
TimesLIVE. Published 2 June 2026.
Where to look: lede and paragraphs 1-3
As of 30 Apr 2026: On 29 April 2026, the Madibeng council's vote on a motion of no confidence in Mayor Douglas Maimane did not take place. A motion of no confidence is a council vote to remove the mayor or speaker. An AIC councillor brought the motion, and the ANC amended it. This was because Maimane had a High Court interdict. The meeting also lost its quorum (the number of councillors needed to hold a vote) after the DA and EFF walked out.
Sunday Times. Published 30 April 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 2, 3 and 9 (counted from 'It took an urgent court interdict...')
As of 29 Aug 2024: The ANC held Ward 17 (Mmakau) in a Madibeng by-election. A ward is an area that elects one councillor. The ANC kept its majority with 44 of the 82 council seats.
Daily Maverick. Published 29 August 2024.
Where to look: Madibeng Ward 17 (Mmakau) section: result line 'ANC 74% (61%) EFF 26% (17%)' and the following paragraphs on the ANC's 44 of 82 seats
As of 9 Nov 2021: Douglas Seleke Maimane was elected to the Madibeng council as an ANC PR councillor in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: NW372 - Madibeng, African National Congress, PR(5): MAIMANE DOUGLAS SELEKE
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 82 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 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: 44 (36 ward, 8 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 14 (1 ward, 13 party). Democratic Alliance: 12 (4 ward, 8 party). Freedom Front Plus: 4 (0 ward, 4 party). Save Madibeng: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). African Christian Democratic Party: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). African Independent Congress: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Al Jama-ah: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Forum 4 Service Delivery: 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 82 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 Madibeng 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 Madibeng is ongoing. It began in January 2022, 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, 'Madibeng LM' row: type of intervention, date instituted, status Ongoing
In May 2025, Parliament's Budget Office described the recovery plan like this: "Poor progress reporting points towards a lack of commitment to implementing the FRP"
Parliamentary Budget Office. Published 1 May 2025.
Where to look: p. 10, Table 1 'Active municipal interventions and their performance', 'Madibeng LM' row, FRP IMPLEMENTATION STATUS column
Doubt it can pay its bills
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Madibeng in 2024-25, for the second 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', North West, 'Madibeng LM' row; p. 49 explains the measure
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