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.).
Hassan Mako (ANC) has been mayor of Emfuleni since 10 June 2026, when the council elected him. He replaced Sipho Radebe. In May 2026, the ANC asked Mayor Radebe to step down. This was after the ANC lost (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.) 28 to the DA in a by-election (a vote to fill one empty ward (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.)). The council is run by a (Coalition Parties that agree to run a council together, usually because none has more than half the seats alone. Together they choose the mayor.) (a group of (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) that run the council together) led by the ANC. News24 (May 2026) lists it as the ANC, EFF, PAC, FF+, CSA and Vaal Civic Movement. No party has more than half of the seats. The ANC has 37 of the 90 seats and the DA has 25. In 2021, no party won more than half of the 90 seats. The ANC won 38 and the DA won 24.
What the sources said, by date
As of 25 Jun 2026
Hassan Mako is the ANC's mayor in Emfuleni.
This was true then. Newer rows above may change it.
As of 14 Jun 2026
Hassan Mako replaced Sipho Radebe as Emfuleni mayor in June 2026.
As of 11 Jun 2026
Hassan Mako was elected mayor of Emfuleni. Mako is the ANC's regional treasurer in Sedibeng. Mako replaced Sipho Radebe, who resigned after the ANC's provincial leadership stepped in. This came after the ANC lost ward 28 to the DA.
As of 10 Jun 2026
Hassan Mako was elected Emfuleni mayor at a council meeting in Vanderbijlpark on Wednesday 10 June 2026. He was formerly the finance MMC (a member of the mayoral committee). The ANC announced him as its mayor. He is also its mayoral candidate for the 2026 election.
As of 29 May 2026
The ANC, EFF, PAC, FF+, Community Solidarity Association and Vaal Civic Movement govern Emfuleni together.
As of 29 May 2026
Sipho Radebe had been mayor since November 2021. He stepped down in May 2026 after the ANC's Gauteng leadership asked him to.
As of 28 May 2026
The DA won ward 28 in Evaton West from the ANC in a by-election (a vote to fill one empty ward seat). This left the ANC with 37 seats and the DA with 25 in the 90-seat council.
How were the seats split?
Who holds the 90 (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 46 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. No party has that many. So parties must work together to 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.
- ANC37
- DA25
- EFF14
- FF+6
- Community Solidarity Association2
- PAC2
- 4 other parties4
Each dot is one seat. The dot with a ring is seat 46. That is how many seats one party needs to run the council alone. Each party shows in its own colour. Grey dots are the 4 other parties, with 1 seat each. One party has no colour on record, so it is grey too.
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 Emfuleni 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
In July 2026, the Minister of Cooperative Governance told Parliament that the intervention at Emfuleni is ongoing. It began in June 2018, under section 139(5) of the Constitution.
This means the province stepped in because the council was in a serious money crisis. The council must follow a plan to fix its finances (a financial recovery plan).
Department of Cooperative Governance, 3 July 2026
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Emfuleni in 2024-25. It did not report one the year before.
This means there is serious doubt that the council can keep paying its bills and keep working.
Auditor-General of South Africa, 24 June 2026
Where do I vote, and who is my ward councillor?
Emfuleni has 45 (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.
Take the quizFind your town to see your ward, your voting station and every name on your papers.
Or check with the IEC
- Who is my ward councillor now?IEC lookup. Shows your ward and who represents it now. (IEC website)
- Voting station finderIEC map. Find the station where you are registered. (IEC website)
Spotted a mistake? Report a mistake. Every change is logged on the Corrections page.