Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Steve Tshwete come from
Every fact on the Steve Tshwete page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
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Which party controls the council?
Dated reports
As of 16 Oct 2026: Petros Mhlonishwa Masilela is executive mayor.
Mpumalanga Provincial Government. Page is undated.
Where to look: Municipalities table (page 1 of 3), row 'Steve Tshwete 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 11 Apr 2025: Mhlonishwa Masilela was executive mayor, the municipality's poster called '2025 Faces of Councillors' says. Selape Thato Mathunyane was council speaker, and Cacious Sihle Mashiloane was council whip. A whip is the councillor who keeps a party's members voting together. Zandile Joseph Ngubeni was MMC for Community Safety. An MMC is a member of the mayoral committee.
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality. Published 11 April 2025.
Where to look: 'Executive Committee' and 'Members of the Mayoral Committee' panels (posted 11 Apr 2025)
As of 30 Aug 2024: Mhlonishwa Masilela delivered the State of the Municipal Address as executive mayor on 30 August 2024. Thato Mathunyane was speaker. The parties in council were the ANC, DA, EFF, MHRF, FF Plus and one independent.
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality. Published 30 August 2024.
Where to look: opening salutations (Executive Mayor, Speaker, Council Whip) and 'Political parties represented in Council' line
As of 29 Aug 2024: After 2021 the ANC (21 seats) runs a minority government (a government with fewer than half of the seats). It has the support of an independent councillor, which makes 22 of the 58 seats.
Daily Maverick. Published 29 August 2024.
Where to look: Mpumalanga section (Ward 10 Eastdene Hlalamnandi, Steve Tshwete)
As of 29 Aug 2024: The ANC (21 seats) runs a minority government with the support of an independent councillor. Together they have 22 of the 58 seats.
Daily Maverick. Published 29 August 2024.
Where to look: Mpumalanga section (Ward 10 Eastdene Hlalamnandi, Steve Tshwete): 'The ANC runs a minority government with the support of an independent councillor'
As of 9 Nov 2021: In 2021 these people were elected in Steve Tshwete. Petros Mhlonishwa Masilela was elected as an ANC ward councillor for Ward 21. Selape Thato Mathunyane was elected as an MHRF PR councillor (a seat a party gets from its list, to match its share of the votes). Zandile Joseph Ngubeni was elected as an EFF PR councillor.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: MP313 - Steve Tshwete rows: ANC ward 83103021; MHRF PR(2); EFF PR(6)
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 58 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: 21 (21 ward, 0 party). Democratic Alliance: 17 (7 ward, 10 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 9 (0 ward, 9 party). Middelburg and Hendrina Residents Front: 7 (0 ward, 7 party). Freedom Front Plus: 3 (0 ward, 3 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 58 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 Steve Tshwete 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)
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