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Who runs Vhembe?

Miyelani Chauke (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 Vhembe since May 2026. In 2021, the ANC won 20 of the 24 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.) voters choose directly in Vhembe. That is more than half.

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Sourced, not yet reviewed.

Photo: Thohoyandou · Ndivhuwo Rannenyeni, CC BY-SA 3.0

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.).

Miyelani Chauke of the ANC is the executive mayor (a mayor who makes many of the council's decisions). The district names him as executive mayor in October 2026. He has held the post since May 2026. Freda Nkondo stepped down after an internal ANC recall (the (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) withdrew Nkondo from the post). In 2021, the ANC won 20 of the 24 (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.) voters choose directly. The (Local municipality A municipality for a town or rural area outside the metros. There are 205.) send the other members. We did not find the full make-up of the council.

What the sources said, by date

  1. As of 13 Oct 2026

    The Vhembe District Municipality names Cllr Miyelani Chauke as Executive Mayor in its news items. The latest is dated 13 October 2026.

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

    As of 12 May 2026

    The ANC appointed its Vhembe deputy regional chairperson, Miyelani Mabanana Chauke, as the new Vhembe district mayor. He replaced Freda Nkondo, who stepped down after an internal ANC recall.

  3. As of 8 Nov 2023

    The ANC in Limpopo appointed four mayors. Minah Bahula went to Sekhukhune District. Freddah Nkondo, the Vhembe District 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), became Vhembe mayor. Dorcus Mboyi, the Makhado Speaker, became Makhado mayor. Shadrack Maluleke became Collins Chabane mayor. He had been standing in after the Collins Chabane mayor was killed.

  4. As of 9 Nov 2021

    Miyelani Gladstone Chauke was elected in 2021 as an ANC PR councillor in Collins Chabane. A PR councillor holds a seat a party gets from its list, to match its share of the votes. Collins Chabane is one of the Vhembe local councils. He was first on the ANC list.

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How were the seats split?

Voters choose 24 of this (District council A council over several local municipalities. It runs services for the whole area. There are 44. Voters outside the metros also vote for it.) (Seat A place on the council, held by one councillor. A party with more votes gets more of these places.) directly. The (Local municipality A municipality for a town or rural area outside the metros. There are 205.) send the other members. A (Party A group of people who stand for election together, with shared plans.) needs 13 of these 24 seats to win more than half of them. The ANC has 20, so it did.

  • ANC20
  • EFF2
  • DA1
  • PAC1

Each dot is one seat. The dot with a ring is seat 13. That is more than half of the seats voters choose directly. 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 the Vhembe district council 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 the Vhembe district council 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

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How does voting work here?

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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