# Msunduzi Local Municipality elections

The Msunduzi Local Municipality council consists of eighty-one members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Forty-one councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in forty-one wards, while the remaining forty 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 the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, obtaining a plurality of forty seats.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ACDP | AIC | ANC | DA | EFF | IFP | MF | NFP | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | 1 | - | 41 | 17 | - | 13 | 1 | - | 0 | 73 |
| 2006 election | 1 | - | 48 | 12 | - | 11 | 1 | - | 0 | 73 |
| 2011 election | 0 | - | 49 | 15 | - | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 73 |
| 2016 election | 1 | 1 | 52 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 0 | - | 1 | 78 |
| 2021 election | 1 | 1 | 40 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 81 |

## 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 |
| | African National Congress | 58,565 | 56.54 | 23 | 58,605 | 56.47 | 18 | 41 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 24,425 | 23.58 | 9 | 24,674 | 23.77 | 8 | 17 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 18,431 | 17.79 | 5 | 18,134 | 17.47 | 8 | 13 |
| | Minority Front | 1,087 | 1.05 | 0 | 917 | 0.88 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 268 | 0.26 | 0 | 1,457 | 1.40 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 801 | 0.77 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 103,577 | 100.00 | 37 | 103,787 | 100.00 | 36 | 73 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 103,577 | 97.93 | | 103,787 | 98.21 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 2,194 | 2.07 | | 1,897 | 1.79 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 105,771 | 100.00 | | 105,684 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 220,082 | 48.06 | | 220,082 | 48.02 | | |

## 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 |
| | African National Congress | 68,863 | 62.92 | 26 | 72,548 | 66.32 | 22 | 48 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 17,048 | 15.58 | 6 | 16,948 | 15.49 | 6 | 12 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 15,236 | 13.92 | 5 | 16,003 | 14.63 | 6 | 11 |
| | Independent candidates | 4,784 | 4.37 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 1,497 | 1.37 | 0 | 1,770 | 1.62 | 1 | 1 |
| | Minority Front | 1,189 | 1.09 | 0 | 1,273 | 1.16 | 1 | 1 |
| | National Democratic Convention | 747 | 0.68 | 0 | 851 | 0.78 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 89 | 0.08 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 109,453 | 100.00 | 37 | 109,393 | 100.00 | 36 | 73 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 109,453 | 97.92 | | 109,393 | 98.22 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 2,329 | 2.08 | | 1,980 | 1.78 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 111,782 | 100.00 | | 111,373 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 233,512 | 47.87 | | 233,512 | 47.69 | | |

## 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 | 107,441 | 62.39 | 28 | 116,571 | 68.35 | 21 | 49 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 32,481 | 18.86 | 9 | 33,244 | 19.49 | 6 | 15 |
| | National Freedom Party | 8,690 | 5.05 | 0 | 8,884 | 5.21 | 4 | 4 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 7,952 | 4.62 | 0 | 8,144 | 4.78 | 4 | 4 |
| | Independent candidates | 12,160 | 7.06 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Minority Front | 1,221 | 0.71 | 0 | 1,212 | 0.71 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 992 | 0.58 | 0 | 1,245 | 0.73 | 0 | 0 |
| | Azanian People's Organisation | 523 | 0.30 | 0 | 590 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 |
| | Congress of the People | 461 | 0.27 | 0 | 484 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Democratic Convention | 296 | 0.17 | 0 | 171 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 172,217 | 100.00 | 37 | 170,545 | 100.00 | 36 | 73 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 172,217 | 98.06 | | 170,545 | 97.67 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 3,409 | 1.94 | | 4,073 | 2.33 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 175,626 | 100.00 | | 174,618 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 282,708 | 62.12 | | 282,708 | 61.77 | | |

## 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 |
| | African National Congress | 147,297 | 66.00 | 30 | 146,938 | 66.18 | 22 | 52 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 42,732 | 19.15 | 9 | 42,865 | 19.30 | 6 | 15 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 14,886 | 6.67 | 0 | 14,712 | 6.63 | 5 | 5 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 9,344 | 4.19 | 0 | 8,927 | 4.02 | 3 | 3 |
| | African Independent Congress | 1,582 | 0.71 | 0 | 4,848 | 2.18 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 4,034 | 1.81 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 913 | 0.41 | 0 | 946 | 0.43 | 1 | 1 |
| | Al Jama-ah | 908 | 0.41 | 0 | 653 | 0.29 | 1 | 1 |
| | African People's Convention | 457 | 0.20 | 0 | 773 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 |
| | Minority Front | 623 | 0.28 | 0 | 585 | 0.26 | 0 | 0 |
| | Peoples Alliance | 146 | 0.07 | 0 | 266 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 |
| | Congress of the People | 126 | 0.06 | 0 | 277 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 |
| | Azanian People's Organisation | 117 | 0.05 | 0 | 254 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 223,165 | 100.00 | 39 | 222,044 | 100.00 | 39 | 78 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 223,165 | 98.07 | | 222,044 | 98.02 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 4,399 | 1.93 | | 4,474 | 1.98 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 227,564 | 100.00 | | 226,518 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 340,998 | 66.73 | | 340,998 | 66.43 | | |

## 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 |
| | African National Congress | 74,238 | 47.16 | 29 | 77,703 | 49.48 | 11 | 40 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 30,074 | 19.10 | 10 | 30,697 | 19.55 | 6 | 16 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 18,262 | 11.60 | 0 | 18,673 | 11.89 | 10 | 10 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 13,271 | 8.43 | 1 | 15,270 | 9.72 | 7 | 8 |
| | Independent candidates | 7,716 | 4.90 | 1 | | | | 1 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 2,914 | 1.85 | 0 | 2,614 | 1.66 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Independent Congress | 1,793 | 1.14 | 0 | 1,728 | 1.10 | 1 | 1 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 1,537 | 0.98 | 0 | 1,454 | 0.93 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 1,006 | 0.64 | 0 | 1,159 | 0.74 | 1 | 1 |
| | Justice and Employment Party | 803 | 0.51 | 0 | 1,111 | 0.71 | 1 | 1 |
| | National Freedom Party | 869 | 0.55 | 0 | 777 | 0.49 | 0 | 0 |
| | Devoted Citizens of Msunduzi | 579 | 0.37 | 0 | 933 | 0.59 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 533 | 0.34 | 0 | 738 | 0.47 | 0 | 0 |
| | Al Jama-ah | 502 | 0.32 | 0 | 435 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 459 | 0.29 | 0 | 461 | 0.29 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Independent Movement | 447 | 0.28 | 0 | 462 | 0.29 | 0 | 0 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 354 | 0.22 | 0 | 449 | 0.29 | 0 | 0 |
| | Minority Front | 367 | 0.23 | 0 | 376 | 0.24 | 0 | 0 |
| | Azanian People's Organisation | 346 | 0.22 | 0 | 314 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 |
| | KZN Independence | 202 | 0.13 | 0 | 425 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 311 | 0.20 | 0 | 159 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| | Black First Land First | 126 | 0.08 | 0 | 205 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 |
| | Spectrum National Party | 154 | 0.10 | 0 | 160 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Mantungwa Community | 129 | 0.08 | 0 | 163 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 16 | 0.01 | 0 | 256 | 0.16 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Movement | 178 | 0.11 | 0 | 92 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People First | 110 | 0.07 | 0 | 139 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | People's Revolutionary Movement | 132 | 0.08 | 0 | 84 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 157,428 | 100.00 | 41 | 157,037 | 100.00 | 40 | 81 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 157,428 | 97.78 | | 157,037 | 97.10 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 3,570 | 2.22 | | 4,697 | 2.90 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 160,998 | 100.00 | | 161,734 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 339,257 | 47.46 | | 339,257 | 47.67 | | |

### 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 January 2023 | 28 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 8 March 2023 | 2 | African National Congress | Inkatha Freedom Party |
| 8 March 2023 | 25 | Democratic Alliance | Democratic Alliance |
| 22 November 2023 | 41 | African National Congress | African National Congress |
| 18 Dec 2024 | 2 | Inkatha Freedom Party | African National Congress |
In ward 28, a safe Democratic Alliance (DA) seat, the DA councillor, Lucky Naicker, had his membership of the party terminated for sexual harassment. In the resulting by-election, Naicker stood as an independent, but the new DA candidate retained the seat for the party, winning 62% of the ward votes.
The by-election in ward 2 on 8 March 2023, held after the death of the ANC councillor, saw a large swing to the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). After the 2021 election, the ANC retained control of the council with the support of the African Independent Congress. With the loss of a further seat, it will now need to rely on the Patriotic Alliance as well to retain control. In the ward 25 by-election on the same day, held after the councillor took up a vacancy in parliament, the DA retained the seat.