Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Mtubatuba come from
Every fact on the Mtubatuba 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 16 Oct 2026: The national government contact directory lists Cllr Mxolisi Mthethwa as executive mayor (a mayor who makes many of the council's decisions).
South African Government. Page is undated.
Where to look: contact details, 'Executive Mayor' line (page undated; accessed 2026-10-16)
As of 31 Aug 2025: Cllr M Mthethwa was mayor and Cllr MZ Shobede was deputy mayor in the year ended 30 June 2025. Cllr SJ Shezi was speaker. This is from the audited annual financial statements (accounts checked by an auditor). They do not state the parties.
Mtubatuba Local Municipality. Published 31 August 2025.
Where to look: page 1, General Information; approval on page 4
As of 5 Dec 2024: The IFP held ward 16 in Mtubatuba in a December 2024 by-election. It won 53% of the vote to the ANC's 32%. The by-election followed the death of ward councillor and former mayor Musawenkosi Mkhwanazi.
Daily Maverick. Published 5 December 2024.
Where to look: 'Ward 16 (Ensolweni) Mtubatuba' section, result line and 'The by-election' paragraph
As of 16 Feb 2023: The IFP won a ward 4 by-election from the ANC in February 2023. A ward is an area with its own councillor. This took the IFP to 21 seats. With the DA and ACDP, this gave 23 seats against 22 for the bloc led by the ANC. The IFP-EFF coalition (a group of parties that run the council together) had collapsed.
Daily News. Published 16 February 2023.
Where to look: paragraphs 2, 3 and 8-10
As of 3 Feb 2022: The IFP's Mxolisi Mthethwa returned as mayor through a no-confidence vote (a council vote to remove the mayor or speaker). The EFF's Nothile Mthethwa became deputy mayor. The IFP's Sibongile Mthethwa became speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings).
Daily News. Published 3 February 2022.
Where to look: paragraphs 1-3
As of 9 Nov 2021: Mxolisi Mthethwa was elected as an IFP ward councillor in Mtubatuba in 2021. The ward is 52705010.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: KwaZulu-Natal, KZN275 - Mtubatuba, IFP, ward 52705010, MTHETHWA MXOLISI
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 45 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 3 of 3, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). Inkatha Freedom Party: 21 (17 ward, 4 party). African National Congress: 14 (5 ward, 9 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 4 (0 ward, 4 party). African Christian Democratic Party: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). African Independent Congress: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Democratic Alliance: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). National Freedom Party: 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 45 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 Mtubatuba an unqualified audit opinion with findings for 2024-25. That is better than in 2023-24, when it got a qualified opinion.
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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