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Who runs Phumelela?

Mbuyiselwa Kobeni (ANC) is (Mayor The leader of the municipality. Councillors choose this person, not voters. So the seats each party wins decide who can lead.) of Phumelela, as of 1 Nov 2025. 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 Phumelela.

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Sourced, not yet reviewed.

Photo: Vrede · Ossewa, 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.).

Mbuyiselwa Kobeni was listed as mayor of Phumelela in July and November 2025. Kobeni was elected as an 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.) (a (Councillor A person elected to make decisions for a municipality, such as the budget and who the mayor is. Each one holds one seat.) for one local area) in 2021. We found nothing that changes who controls the council. In 2021 the ANC had a majority, with 11 of 16 (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

  1. As of 1 Nov 2025

    Mbuyiselwa Kobeni was mayor of Phumelela Local Municipality in November 2025. The list spells the first name 'Mbuylselwa'. The speaker (the councillor who chairs council meetings) was Topsy R Zwane.

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

    As of 24 Jul 2025

    (Parliament South Africa's national law-makers, in Cape Town. It has two parts, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.) listed 'Mayor - Cllr Kobeni' and 'Speaker - Cllr Zwane' for Phumelela Local Municipality. It did this during a joint oversight visit (a visit to check on the council) in July 2025.

  3. As of 9 Nov 2021

    Mbuyiselwa Dume Kobeni was elected to the Phumelela council in 2021. Kobeni was the ANC ward councillor for (Ward A small area inside a municipality. Each one elects one councillor.) 3.

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How were the seats split?

Who holds the 16 (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
  • DA2
  • 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.

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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 Phumelela 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?

Phumelela has 8 (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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