# Mtubatuba Local Municipality elections

The Mtubatuba Local Municipality council consists of forty-five members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-three councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-three wards, while the remaining twenty-two are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
In the election of 1 November 2021 no party obtained a majority. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) received the most seats with nineteen.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | AIC | ANC | DA | EFF | IFP | NFP | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | - | 2 | 1 | - | 7 | - | 0 | 10 |
| 2006 election | - | 4 | 0 | - | 5 | - | 1 | 10 |
| 2011 election | - | 16 | 0 | - | 15 | 7 | 0 | 38 |
| 2016 election | 1 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 18 | - | 0 | 40 |
| 2021 election | 1 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 45 |

## December 2000 election

The following table shows the results of the 2000 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 3,222 | 66.08 | 5 | 3,244 | 66.48 | 2 | 7 |
| | African National Congress | 911 | 18.68 | 0 | 920 | 18.85 | 2 | 2 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 589 | 12.08 | 0 | 604 | 12.38 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 90 | 1.85 | 0 | 112 | 2.30 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 64 | 1.31 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 4,876 | 100.00 | 5 | 4,880 | 100.00 | 5 | 10 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 4,876 | 97.95 | | 4,880 | 98.03 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 102 | 2.05 | | 98 | 1.97 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 4,978 | 100.00 | | 4,978 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 13,768 | 36.16 | | 13,768 | 36.16 | | |

## March 2006 election

The following table shows the results of the 2006 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 3,469 | 49.35 | 4 | 3,464 | 49.23 | 1 | 5 |
| | African National Congress | 2,545 | 36.20 | 1 | 2,627 | 37.33 | 3 | 4 |
| | National Democratic Convention | 501 | 7.13 | 0 | 479 | 6.81 | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 369 | 5.25 | 0 | 467 | 6.64 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 146 | 2.08 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 7,030 | 100.00 | 5 | 7,037 | 100.00 | 5 | 10 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 7,030 | 97.27 | | 7,037 | 97.36 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 197 | 2.73 | | 191 | 2.64 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 7,227 | 100.00 | | 7,228 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 17,431 | 41.46 | | 17,431 | 41.47 | | |

## May 2011 election

The following table shows the results of the 2011 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | African National Congress | 17,476 | 40.59 | 10 | 17,718 | 41.14 | 6 | 16 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 17,290 | 40.15 | 9 | 17,057 | 39.60 | 6 | 15 |
| | National Freedom Party | 7,554 | 17.54 | 0 | 7,204 | 16.73 | 7 | 7 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 83 | 0.19 | 0 | 790 | 1.83 | 0 | 0 |
| | South African Democratic Congress | 324 | 0.75 | 0 | 186 | 0.43 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 227 | 0.53 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 105 | 0.24 | 0 | 114 | 0.26 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 43,059 | 100.00 | 19 | 43,069 | 100.00 | 19 | 38 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 43,059 | 98.33 | | 43,069 | 98.47 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 730 | 1.67 | | 669 | 1.53 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 43,789 | 100.00 | | 43,738 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 73,367 | 59.68 | | 73,367 | 59.62 | | |

## August 2016 election

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 24,558 | 44.63 | 10 | 24,812 | 45.08 | 8 | 18 |
| | African National Congress | 24,180 | 43.94 | 10 | 24,219 | 44.01 | 8 | 18 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 2,118 | 3.85 | 0 | 2,089 | 3.80 | 2 | 2 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,969 | 3.58 | 0 | 1,964 | 3.57 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Independent Congress | 1,237 | 2.25 | 0 | 1,769 | 3.21 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 962 | 1.75 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Peoples Alliance | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 181 | 0.33 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 55,025 | 100.00 | 20 | 55,034 | 100.00 | 20 | 40 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 55,025 | 97.57 | | 55,034 | 97.31 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,368 | 2.43 | | 1,522 | 2.69 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 56,393 | 100.00 | | 56,556 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 90,718 | 62.16 | | 90,718 | 62.34 | | |

### August 2016 to November 2021 by-elections

In a by-election held on 23 May 2018, a ward previously held by an ANC councillor was won by the IFP candidate. In another by-election held on 12 December 2018, ANC was able to win a ward previously held by the IFP. IFP won a second ward previously held by ANC in another by-election on 12 June 2019. Ward council composition after the three by-elections is as seen below.
| Party | Party | Ward | PR list | Total |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 11 | 8 | 19 |
| | African National Congress | 9 | 8 | 17 |
| | DA | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | AIC | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 20 | 20 | 40 |

## November 2021 election

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 23,138 | 40.72 | 15 | 25,053 | 44.16 | 4 | 19 |
| | African National Congress | 19,903 | 35.03 | 7 | 20,949 | 36.92 | 9 | 16 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 5,148 | 9.06 | 0 | 5,146 | 9.07 | 4 | 4 |
| | Independent candidates | 3,202 | 5.63 | 1 | | | | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 1,192 | 2.10 | 0 | 1,263 | 2.23 | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,065 | 1.87 | 0 | 1,119 | 1.97 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Independent Congress | 656 | 1.15 | 0 | 588 | 1.04 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 533 | 0.94 | 0 | 531 | 0.94 | 1 | 1 |
| | National Freedom Party | 493 | 0.87 | 0 | 494 | 0.87 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Christian Democratic Party | 502 | 0.88 | 0 | 457 | 0.81 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Movement | 281 | 0.49 | 0 | 325 | 0.57 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 164 | 0.29 | 0 | 227 | 0.40 | 0 | 0 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 186 | 0.33 | 0 | 159 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 |
| | Al Jama-ah | 99 | 0.17 | 0 | 95 | 0.17 | 0 | 0 |
| | Democratic Union Plus | 111 | 0.20 | 0 | 81 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 89 | 0.16 | 0 | 102 | 0.18 | 0 | 0 |
| | Black First Land First | 34 | 0.06 | 0 | 50 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | National People's Front | 19 | 0.03 | 0 | 60 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 10 | 0.02 | 0 | 37 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 56,825 | 100.00 | 23 | 56,736 | 100.00 | 22 | 45 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 56,825 | 98.07 | | 56,736 | 98.04 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,118 | 1.93 | | 1,133 | 1.96 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 57,943 | 100.00 | | 57,869 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 101,008 | 57.36 | | 101,008 | 57.29 | | |

### By-elections from November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period since the election in November 2021.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 18 Jan 2023 | 9 | African National Congress | Inkatha Freedom Party |
| 15 Feb 2023 | 4 | African National Congress | Inkatha Freedom Party |
| 4 Dec 2024 | 16 | Inkatha Freedom Party | Inkatha Freedom Party |
In ward 9, narrowly held by the African National Congress (ANC) in 2021, the councillor resigned. The ANC failed to register a candidate in time for the resulting by-election, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) picked up the seat with 77% of the vote, solidifying their coalition in the council.
In ward 4, after the ANC councillor's resignation, the IFP won the resulting by-election.