Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Sol Plaatje come from
Every fact on the Sol Plaatje 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 5 Aug 2026: Cogta MEC Bentley Vass (the province's minister for local government) ended the Section 139 intervention in Sol Plaatje. This happened at a special council meeting on 30 July 2026.
OFM. Published 5 August 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1 and 3
As of 13 May 2026: The Northern Cape executive council placed Sol Plaatje under a Section 139(1)(b) intervention from 11 May 2026. The team was led by provincial executive representative Thomas Mongwe.
OFM. Published 13 May 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 2 and 4
As of 21 Apr 2026: Mayor Martha Bartlett changed the line-up of the Sol Plaatje mayoral committee on 20 April 2026. The mayor said the changes were to restore stability after repeated council meetings collapsed.
OFM. Published 21 April 2026.
Where to look: paragraphs 1, 2 and 4
As of 7 Apr 2026: The ANC's Frances Baard regional executive committee said it supports Sol Plaatje executive mayor Barbara Bartlett and speaker Dipuo Peters 'as deployees of the movement'. It said this after reports that they had resigned.
OFM. Published 7 April 2026.
Where to look: last two paragraphs (quote from ANC Frances Baard regional spokesperson Christopher Majaha)
As of 1 Jan 2026: Councillor Martha Bartlett is executive mayor and Councillor Dipuo Peters is speaker of Sol Plaatje, according to the municipality's January 2026 newsletter.
Sol Plaatje Municipality. Page is undated.
Where to look: January 2026 issue (no day given), read 2026-10-16; executive mayor and speaker named in the welcome and remarks sections
As of 24 Jul 2025: The ANC won Sol Plaatje Ward 1 back from the PA in July 2025. It regained its outright majority. The 65 seats are ANC 33, DA 14, EFF 6, PA 3 and Sol Plaatje Service Delivery Forum 3. The other seats are FF+ 3, GOOD 2 and ACDP 1.
Daily Maverick. Published 24 July 2025.
Where to look: July by-elections, section 'Ward 1 (Roodepan Platfontein), Sol Plaatje, Frances Baard': seat arithmetic paragraph
As of 12 Oct 2023: The PA won Sol Plaatje Ward 1 in Roodepan Platfontein from the ANC in October 2023. The ANC fell to 32 of 65 seats. It lost its outright majority.
Daily Maverick. Published 12 October 2023.
Where to look: section 'Ward 1 (Roodepan Platfontein) in Sol Plaatje, Frances Baard'
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: p. 3 of 3, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 33 (27 ward, 6 party). Democratic Alliance: 14 (6 ward, 8 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 6 (0 ward, 6 party). Patriotic Alliance: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). Sol Plaatjie Service Delivery Forum: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). Freedom Front Plus: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). GOOD: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). African Christian Democratic 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 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 Sol Plaatje 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 Sol Plaatje is ongoing. It began in May 2026, under section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution.
Department of Cooperative Governance. Published 3 July 2026.
Where to look: reply (a), table of municipalities under intervention, 'Sol Plaatje LM' row: type of intervention, date instituted, status Ongoing
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