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Who runs Ba-Phalaborwa?

MM Malatji (ANC) is (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.) of Ba-Phalaborwa, as of 27 May 2026. In 2021, the ANC won more than half of the (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.) in Ba-Phalaborwa.

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Sourced, not yet reviewed.

Photo: Phalaborwa · Kyle Meerholz, Public domain

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Sourced, not yet reviewed.

Which party controls the council?

Voters choose the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.). The council chooses the (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.).

The mayor is Merriam Malatji, also written Meriam, of the ANC. She signs the 2026/27 IDP (the council's plan for the years ahead) as mayor, in May 2026. In 2021, the ANC won 24 of the 37 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.). It still holds 24 of the 37 seats, so the ANC has a majority (more than half the seats).

What the sources said, by date

  1. As of 27 May 2026

    The Ba-Phalaborwa 2026/27 final IDP has a foreword from the mayor, 'Mayor: Cllr MM Malatji'.

  2. This was true then. Newer rows above may change it.

    As of 6 Feb 2026

    The Ba-Phalaborwa 2024/25 annual report lists Cllr M.M. Malatji as full-time Mayor, representing the ANC.

  3. As of 30 Jan 2026

    Cllr M.M. Malatji is listed as Mayor in the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality's audited (checked by an auditor) annual financial statements. They cover the year that ended on 30 June 2025. They list Cllr N.O. Mabunda as Speaker (the (Councillor A person elected to make decisions for a municipality, such as the budget and who the mayor is. Each one holds one seat.) who chairs council meetings). They list Cllr D.M. Rapatsa as Chief Whip (the councillor who organises (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) members for council votes).

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How were the seats split?

Who holds the 37 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.) now, counted up to 24 Jun 2026. A (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) needs 19 seats to run the (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) on its own. The ANC has 24, so it can choose the (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.) and pass the budget on its own.

  • ANC24
  • EFF5
  • DA4
  • National Independent Party2
  • Mopani Independent Movement1
  • FF+1

Each dot is one seat. The dot with a ring is seat 19. That is how many seats one party needs to run the council alone. Each party shows in its own colour. 2 parties have no colour on record, so they are grey too.

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What has the council done?

We have not checked any claims about this (Council The group of elected people who make decisions for a municipality. They pass its budget and choose the mayor.) yet. That is not a mark for or against it.

Core servicesWater, lights, rubbish and roads: what your council runs.No checks yet

Housing and landHouses, informal settlements and title deeds.No checks yet

Safety and jobsCrime, metro police and work in your area.No checks yet

Governance and moneyCorruption, audits and budgets: how your council uses your money.No checks yet

What the official records say

From the Auditor-General and the national government. Every council gets the same checks. A council that is not on a list shows no row.

The Auditor-General gave Ba-Phalaborwa a qualified audit opinion for 2024-25. It got the same result in 2023-24.

This means some parts of its accounts had big mistakes, or it could not show proof for some amounts.

Auditor-General of South Africa, 24 June 2026

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Where do I vote, and who is my ward councillor?

Ba-Phalaborwa has 19 (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.). You can only vote at the (Voting station The place where you vote, often a school or a hall. You can only vote at the one where you are registered.) where you are (Registered Your name is on the voters' roll. Registration for this election closed on 7 August 2026.).

Pick what matters to you and see which parties promised it, with a link to where it said so.

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