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Who runs Makhuduthamaga?

M.M. Mahlase (ANC) has been (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.) of Makhuduthamaga since Nov 2023. 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 Makhuduthamaga.

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Sourced, not yet reviewed.

Photo: Jane Furse · NelsonKgwete, CC BY-SA 4.0

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 Merah Mahlase. The 2024/25 financial statements, filed in January 2026, still list her as mayor. She has been mayor since 16 November 2023. She was elected as an ANC (Councillor A person elected to make decisions for a municipality, such as the budget and who the mayor is. Each one holds one seat.) in 2021. In 2021, the ANC won 40 of the 62 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.). The ANC has a majority, and that has not changed.

What the sources said, by date

  1. As of 15 Jan 2026

    Cllr M.M. Mahlase is listed as Mayor in the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality's audited (checked by an auditor) annual financial statements. They cover the year that ended on 30 June 2025. They list Cllr M.J. Nkgadima as Speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings). They list Cllr M.M. Thamaga as Chief Whip (the councillor who organises (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) members for council votes). The report says Mahlase was appointed on 16 November 2023 after the previous mayor resigned on 15 November 2023.

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

    As of 13 Feb 2025

    The Sekhukhune executive mayor (a mayor who makes many of the council's decisions) gave remarks on 13 February 2025. They address 'Honourable Mayor of Makhuduthamaga Local Mayor Cllr Merah Mahlase'.

  3. As of 9 Nov 2021

    Masekwele Merah Mahlase was elected to the Makhuduthamaga council in 2021 as an ANC PR councillor. A PR councillor holds a seat a party gets from its list, to match its share of the votes. Her ANC list number was 10.

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How were the seats split?

Who holds the 62 (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 32 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 40, 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.

  • ANC40
  • EFF15
  • South African Maintenance and Estate Beneficiaries Associati2
  • DA1
  • Democratic Artists Party1
  • National Communist Congress1
  • 1 other party1

Each dot is one seat. The dot with a ring is seat 32. That is how many seats one party needs to run the council alone. Each party shows in its own colour. Grey dots are the other party, with 1 seat. 3 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 Makhuduthamaga an unqualified audit opinion with findings for 2024-25. It got the same result in 2023-24.

This means its accounts were right, but the Auditor-General found other problems, such as broken laws or weak reports on its work.

Auditor-General of South Africa, 24 June 2026

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

Makhuduthamaga has 31 (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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