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.).
Dr S Motingoe has run Ngwathe as administrator from 23 June 2026, after the council was closed down early in June 2026. An administrator is an official sent in to run the council. Motingoe stays until a new council is elected. Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni was executive mayor until the council was closed down. An executive mayor makes many of the council's decisions. De Beer-Mthombeni 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. On 2 June 2026, the Constitutional Court refused the (Municipality The local government for your area. It looks after local services, such as water, rubbish removal and local roads. There are 257.) permission to appeal. The province then carried out a High Court order for a Section 139 intervention. That is when the province steps in to run the council. In 2021, the ANC had a majority, with 21 of the 37 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.).
What the sources said, by date
On the council's website, no date shown
Ngwathe's council page names Hon. Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni as executive mayor.
As of 5 Aug 2026
On 10 June 2026, the Free State Executive Council made a decision. It would carry out a High Court order to step in at Ngwathe. This is under Section 139(4) and (5). The order includes closing down the council early. It also includes putting in an administrator until a new council is elected. On 23 June 2026, the MEC met the council and explained the order. An MEC is a member of the provincial government. The MEC also introduced Dr S Motingoe as administrator. On 26 June 2026, the Provincial Gazette put the order into force. The Gazette is where the province prints official notices.
As of 5 Aug 2026
At the committee's oversight visit on 8 July 2026, (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) representatives spoke about the council being closed down. It had been closed down for less than two weeks.
This was true then. Newer rows above may change it.
As of 10 Jul 2026
(Parliament South Africa's national law-makers, in Cape Town. It has two parts, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.) reported that Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni was executive mayor of Ngwathe Local Municipality. Its council was closed down early. De Beer-Mthombeni asked the provincial government to think about other ways to step in. Parliament also reported that the province had appointed Dr Solly Motingoe as administrator.
As of 1 Nov 2025
Victoria de Beer Mthombeni was mayor of Ngwathe Local Municipality in November 2025. The speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings) was NP Mopedi.
As of 24 Jul 2025
Parliament listed 'Mayor - Cllr Mthombeni' and 'Speaker - Cllr Mobedi' for Ngwathe Local Municipality. It did this during a joint oversight visit (a visit to check on the council) in July 2025.
As of 9 Nov 2021
Victoria Elisa de Beer was elected to the Ngwathe council as an ANC councillor in 2021. De Beer was first on the ANC list.
How were the seats split?
Who won the 37 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.) in 2021. 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 21, 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.
- ANC21
- DA7
- EFF5
- FF+3
- Ngwathe Residents Association1
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. 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 Ngwathe 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
The Auditor-General found a going concern uncertainty at Ngwathe 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?
Ngwathe 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.
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.