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.).
Thanduxolo Khalipha is mayor of Matjhabeng, as reported in May 2026. In August 2026 the ANC named him as one of its candidates for mayor of Matjhabeng. In 2021 the ANC won 39 of the 72 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.). That is more than half. A High Court made an order about Matjhabeng. After that, the province put Matjhabeng under a Section 139(5) intervention. This kind is mandatory (required). It means the province steps in to run the council. The council accepted it on 29 May 2025. The province's intervention team was still working there in May 2026.
What the sources said, by date
As of 23 Aug 2026
On 22 August 2026 the ANC named Thanduxolo Khalipha among its mayoral candidates for Matjhabeng. This is for the 2026 local elections.
This was true then. Newer rows above may change it.
As of 17 May 2026
Sunday World reported on Matjhabeng mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha. It said he faced pressure inside the ANC. The (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) national and provincial leaders had told him to work with the province's intervention team. The pressure was over these instructions.
As of 15 May 2026
Thanduxolo Khalipha is mayor of Matjhabeng. He went before the Free State Legislature (the province's (Parliament South Africa's national law-makers, in Cape Town. It has two parts, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.)). The province had sent an intervention team to Matjhabeng. There, the team's leader gave its report.
As of 1 Nov 2025
Thanduxolo D Khalipha was mayor of Matjhabeng 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 Bheke Stofile.
As of 30 May 2025
The Free State government placed Matjhabeng under a Section 139(5) intervention after a High Court order. The council accepted the intervention at a meeting on 29 May 2025. A provincial task team was to carry out a financial recovery plan.
How were the seats split?
Who holds the 72 (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 37 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 39, 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.
- ANC39
- DA16
- EFF9
- African Democratic Change2
- Independent South African National Civic Organisation2
- FF+2
- 2 other parties2
Each dot is one seat. The dot with a ring is seat 37. That is how many seats one party needs to run the council alone. Each party shows in its own colour. Grey dots are the 2 other parties, with 1 seat each. 2 parties have no colour on record, so they are 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 Matjhabeng 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 Matjhabeng is ongoing. It began in October 2024, under section 139(5)(a) and (c) 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 Matjhabeng 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?
Matjhabeng has 36 (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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