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.).
Xolane Johny Tseletsele (ANC) was listed as mayor of Kopanong by the Free State government in November 2025. The (IEC The Electoral Commission of South Africa. It runs elections. It is independent, so it does not take orders from the government or any party.) spells his first name Xolani. He was elected as the ANC (Ward councillor A person chosen by the voters of one ward to speak for that area on the council. You vote for them by name.) for (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.) 6 in 2021. Since 17 May 2023, the Free State government has stepped in to do some of Kopanong's work. It used Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution, together with section 63 of the Water Services Act. On 5 February 2025, it sent a new person to lead this work. In 2021, the ANC won 11 of the 17 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.), which is more than half. We found nothing that changes who controls the council.
What the sources said, by date
As of 1 Nov 2025
Xolane Johny Tseletsele was mayor of Kopanong Local Municipality in November 2025. The 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) was Morekiemang Jerry Moitse.
This was true then. Newer rows above may change it.
As of 8 Apr 2025
On 17 May 2023, the Free State Executive Council used Section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution in Kopanong. It used it together with section 63 of the Water Services Act. On 5 February 2025, it seconded a new Exco lead to make the intervention stronger. Seconded means sent to work there for a while. The mayor told the committee that the (Municipality The local government for your area. It looks after local services, such as water, rubbish removal and local roads. There are 257.) was under Section 139(1)(b) and Section 154 intervention.
As of 9 Nov 2021
Xolani Johny Tseletsele was elected to the Kopanong council in 2021. Tseletsele was the ANC ward councillor for ward 6.
How were the seats split?
Who holds the 17 (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 9 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 11, 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.
- ANC11
- DA3
- EFF2
- FF+1
Each dot is one seat. The dot with a ring is seat 9. That is how many seats one party needs to run the council alone. Each party shows in its own colour.
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 Kopanong 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 Kopanong is ongoing. It began in September 2023, under section 139(1)(b) of the Constitution, together with section 63 of the Water Services Act.
This means the province took over some of the council's work, including water services, because the council was not doing it.
Department of Cooperative Governance, 3 July 2026
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Kopanong in 2024-25, for the 16th year in a row.
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?
Kopanong has 9 (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)
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