Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Phumelela come from
Every fact on the Phumelela 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 1 Nov 2025: Mbuyiselwa Kobeni was mayor of Phumelela Local Municipality in November 2025. The list spells the first name 'Mbuylselwa'. The speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings) was Topsy R Zwane.
Free State COGTA. Page is undated.
Where to look: Phumelela (FS 195) row: Mayor/Executive Mayor 'Mbuylselwa Kobeni', Speaker 'Topsy R Zwane'; header 'NOVEMBER 2025' (no day given)
As of 24 Jul 2025: Parliament listed 'Mayor - Cllr Kobeni' and 'Speaker - Cllr Zwane' for Phumelela Local Municipality. It did this during a joint oversight visit (a visit to check on the council) in July 2025.
Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Published 24 July 2025.
Where to look: 'Engagement with Phumelela Local Municipality' item
As of 9 Nov 2021: Mbuyiselwa Dume Kobeni was elected to the Phumelela council in 2021. Kobeni was the ANC ward councillor for ward 3.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: Free State, FS195 - Phumelela, AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, ward 41905003, KOBENI MBUYISELWA DUME
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 16 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 1 of 2, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 11 (8 ward, 3 party). Democratic Alliance: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 2 (0 ward, 2 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 16 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 Phumelela 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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