Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about Ubuhlebezwe come from
Every fact on the Ubuhlebezwe 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
On the council's website, no date shown: Elizabeth Bathobile Ngubo is mayor and Zinhle Lucky Miya is deputy mayor, according to National Treasury's municipal officials list. T.C. Dlamini is speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings).
National Treasury. Page is undated.
Where to look: Officials list, Mayor/Executive Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Speaker rows (undated, read 2026-10-18)
As of 16 Oct 2026: The national government contact directory lists the Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality. Its website is ubuhlebezwe.gov.za. The directory names Cllr Elizabeth Bathobile Ngubo as executive mayor.
South African Government. Page is undated.
Where to look: contact details, 'Executive Mayor' line and website link (page undated; accessed 2026-10-16)
As of 27 May 2025: The Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality got a new name on Tuesday 27 May 2025. It was renamed after Johannes Phumani Phungula. This was at a ceremony at the municipal headquarters in Ixopo.
Sunday World. Published 27 May 2025.
Where to look: Paragraphs 1-3
As of 9 Nov 2021: In 2021, Elizabeth Bathobile Ngubo was elected in uBuhlebezwe as an ANC PR councillor. A PR councillor is a councillor a party gets from its list, to match its share of the votes. Ngubo was number 1 on the list.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: KZN434 - uBuhlebezwe rows, AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, PR(1)
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 27 seats in 2021.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Page is undated.
Where to look: p. 2 of 2, seat table, Total Party Seats column
Every party
The seats now, by party (ward seats and party seats). African National Congress: 18 (13 ward, 5 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 3 (0 ward, 3 party). Inkatha Freedom Party: 2 (0 ward, 2 party). African Independent Congress: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). Democratic Alliance: 1 (0 ward, 1 party). National Freedom 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 27 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 Ubuhlebezwe 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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