Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Nkomazi come from
Every fact on the Nkomazi 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: Phindile P. Magagula is executive mayor.
Mpumalanga Provincial Government. Page is undated.
Where to look: Municipalities table (page 3 of 3), row 'Nkomazi Local Municipality', column 'Executive mayor'. The table is undated (footer 'Copyright 2026'); it names mayors elected in late 2024, so it was updated no earlier than Nov 2024. Read 2026-10-16. Party not shown.
As of 28 Jan 2026: Magagula Phindile Pertuniah was an ANC PR councillor and executive mayor, the 2024/25 councillor list shows. A PR councillor holds a seat that a party gets from its list, to match its share of the votes. Nyambi-Sambo Hildah Vangile was an ANC PR councillor and speaker of council (the councillor who chairs council meetings).
Nkomazi Local Municipality. Published 28 January 2026.
Where to look: Chapter 2 councillor list, entries 44 and 47
As of 20 Oct 2022: The EFF won Ward 11 from the ANC in an October 2022 by-election. It was the EFF's first ward win in Mpumalanga.
Daily Maverick. Published 20 October 2022.
Where to look: headline and standfirst
As of 20 Oct 2022: In 2021 some ANC ward councillors ignored the party's instruction. With the EFF, they elected former mayor Johan Mkhatshwa as mayor. Their party membership was ended. This caused three Nkomazi by-elections in 2022.
Daily Maverick. Published 20 October 2022.
Where to look: 'The by-election' paragraph
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 65 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: pp. 1-2 of 3 (party table on p. 2 of 3), seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 49 (32 ward, 17 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 10 (1 ward, 9 party). Democratic Alliance: 4 (0 ward, 4 party). African Transformation 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 65 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 Nkomazi 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)
Doubt it can pay its bills
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Nkomazi 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', Mpumalanga, 'Nkomazi LM' row; p. 49 explains the measure
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