Checked 16 October 2026
Where the facts about uMfolozi come from
Every fact on the uMfolozi 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 30 Jun 2025: Cllr X.M. Bhengu was mayor and Cllr T.M. Biyela was deputy mayor in the year ended 30 June 2025. M.M. Mthiyane was speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings). This is from the audited annual financial statements (accounts checked by an auditor). They do not state the parties.
uMfolozi Local Municipality. Page is undated.
Where to look: page 1, General Information, Executive Council Members and Ordinary Council Members
As of 2 Apr 2024: Cllr X.M. Bhengu was mayor and Cllr T.M. Biyela was deputy mayor, according to the municipality's 2022/23 annual report. Cllr M.M. Mthiyane was speaker. The report says the 35-seat council has 18 IFP councillors, 13 ANC councillors, 3 EFF councillors and 1 NFP councillor.
uMfolozi Local Municipality. Published 2 April 2024.
Where to look: Chapter 2, political governance: council composition sentence and office-bearer table (Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Speaker, Whip of Council)
As of 9 Nov 2021: In 2021, Xolani Michael Bhengu and Timothy Mzibeni Biyela were elected as IFP ward councillors in uMfolozi. Bhengu was elected for ward 12 and Biyela for ward 8.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 9 November 2021.
Where to look: KZN281 - uMfolozi rows, INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY, wards 52801012 and 52801008
How were the seats split?
The 2021 result
Who won the 35 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). Inkatha Freedom Party: 18 (14 ward, 4 party). African National Congress: 13 (4 ward, 9 party). Economic Freedom Fighters: 3 (0 ward, 3 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 35 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 uMfolozi 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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