# Merafong City Local Municipality elections

The Merafong City Local Municipality council consists of fifty-five members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-eight councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-eight wards, while the remaining twenty-seven 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 their majority of seats on the council

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | AIC | ANC | DA | EFF | FF+ | IFP | UDM | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | - | 37 | 9 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 51 |
| 2006 election | - | 33 | 12 | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 51 |
| 2011 election | - | 41 | 11 | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 56 |
| 2016 election | 1 | 30 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 55 |
| 2021 election | 1 | 27 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 55 |

## 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 | 29,288 | 72.66 | 21 | 29,496 | 73.00 | 16 | 37 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 7,133 | 17.70 | 5 | 7,150 | 17.70 | 4 | 9 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 1,293 | 3.21 | 0 | 1,305 | 3.23 | 2 | 2 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 1,078 | 2.67 | 0 | 1,026 | 2.54 | 1 | 1 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 505 | 1.25 | 0 | 549 | 1.36 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 461 | 1.14 | 0 | 462 | 1.14 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Christian Democratic Party | 129 | 0.32 | 0 | 246 | 0.61 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa | 129 | 0.32 | 0 | 171 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 292 | 0.72 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 40,308 | 100.00 | 26 | 40,405 | 100.00 | 25 | 51 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 40,308 | 97.60 | | 40,405 | 97.87 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 991 | 2.40 | | 880 | 2.13 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 41,299 | 100.00 | | 41,285 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 83,998 | 49.17 | | 83,998 | 49.15 | | |

## 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 | 14,430 | 65.42 | 21 | 14,298 | 65.05 | 12 | 33 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 4,891 | 22.18 | 5 | 4,948 | 22.51 | 7 | 12 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 1,081 | 4.90 | 0 | 1,017 | 4.63 | 3 | 3 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 828 | 3.75 | 0 | 832 | 3.79 | 2 | 2 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 566 | 2.57 | 0 | 582 | 2.65 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent Democrats | 144 | 0.65 | 0 | 121 | 0.55 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 52 | 0.24 | 0 | 130 | 0.59 | 0 | 0 |
| | Azanian People's Organisation | 64 | 0.29 | 0 | 52 | 0.24 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 22,056 | 100.00 | 26 | 21,980 | 100.00 | 25 | 51 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 22,056 | 98.28 | | 21,980 | 98.05 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 385 | 1.72 | | 436 | 1.95 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 22,441 | 100.00 | | 22,416 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 89,026 | 25.21 | | 89,026 | 25.18 | | |

## 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 | 37,741 | 73.77 | 25 | 38,177 | 74.31 | 16 | 41 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 10,126 | 19.79 | 3 | 10,081 | 19.62 | 8 | 11 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 848 | 1.66 | 0 | 763 | 1.49 | 1 | 1 |
| | Merafong Civic Association | 619 | 1.21 | 0 | 570 | 1.11 | 1 | 1 |
| | Congress of the People | 609 | 1.19 | 0 | 554 | 1.08 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 497 | 0.97 | 0 | 426 | 0.83 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 377 | 0.74 | 0 | 313 | 0.61 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent Ratepayers Association of SA | 236 | 0.46 | 0 | 166 | 0.32 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 36 | 0.07 | 0 | 187 | 0.36 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Freedom Party | 33 | 0.06 | 0 | 139 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 40 | 0.08 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 51,162 | 100.00 | 28 | 51,376 | 100.00 | 28 | 56 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 51,162 | 97.90 | | 51,376 | 98.41 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,096 | 2.10 | | 829 | 1.59 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 52,258 | 100.00 | | 52,205 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 94,546 | 55.27 | | 94,546 | 55.22 | | |

## 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 | 28,909 | 54.73 | 23 | 28,022 | 53.18 | 7 | 30 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 11,488 | 21.75 | 5 | 11,425 | 21.68 | 7 | 12 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 8,564 | 16.21 | 0 | 8,509 | 16.15 | 9 | 9 |
| | African Independent Congress | 600 | 1.14 | 0 | 1,653 | 3.14 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 1,053 | 1.99 | 0 | 1,072 | 2.03 | 1 | 1 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 726 | 1.37 | 0 | 711 | 1.35 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 724 | 1.37 | 0 | 690 | 1.31 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 341 | 0.65 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Merafong Civic Association | 124 | 0.23 | 0 | 203 | 0.39 | 0 | 0 |
| | Congress of the People | 111 | 0.21 | 0 | 126 | 0.24 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent Ratepayers Association of SA | 76 | 0.14 | 0 | 72 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 |
| | Azanian People's Organisation | 64 | 0.12 | 0 | 74 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 8 | 0.02 | 0 | 71 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 17 | 0.03 | 0 | 33 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 |
| | International Revelation Congress | 12 | 0.02 | 0 | 31 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 52,817 | 100.00 | 28 | 52,692 | 100.00 | 27 | 55 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 52,817 | 98.49 | | 52,692 | 98.17 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 812 | 1.51 | | 984 | 1.83 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 53,629 | 100.00 | | 53,676 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 99,964 | 53.65 | | 99,964 | 53.70 | | |

## 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 | 18,863 | 48.26 | 21 | 19,316 | 49.68 | 6 | 27 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 6,159 | 15.76 | 5 | 6,430 | 16.54 | 4 | 9 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 5,584 | 14.29 | 1 | 6,127 | 15.76 | 8 | 9 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 2,671 | 6.83 | 0 | 2,761 | 7.10 | 4 | 4 |
| | Merafong Agents of Change | 1,218 | 3.12 | 0 | 1,356 | 3.49 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 2,024 | 5.18 | 1 | | | | 1 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 625 | 1.60 | 0 | 654 | 1.68 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Independent Congress | 443 | 1.13 | 0 | 460 | 1.18 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Democratic Movement | 395 | 1.01 | 0 | 402 | 1.03 | 1 | 1 |
| | Forum for Service Delivery | 170 | 0.43 | 0 | 227 | 0.58 | 0 | 0 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 182 | 0.47 | 0 | 203 | 0.52 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 165 | 0.42 | 0 | 192 | 0.49 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 170 | 0.43 | 0 | 181 | 0.47 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 133 | 0.34 | 0 | 148 | 0.38 | 0 | 0 |
| | International Revelation Congress | 135 | 0.35 | 0 | 129 | 0.33 | 0 | 0 |
| | Congress of the People | 29 | 0.07 | 0 | 116 | 0.30 | 0 | 0 |
| | Justice and Employment Party | 45 | 0.12 | 0 | 65 | 0.17 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Freedom Party | 53 | 0.14 | 0 | 57 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Christian Democratic Party | 19 | 0.05 | 0 | 59 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 39,083 | 100.00 | 28 | 38,883 | 100.00 | 27 | 55 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 39,083 | 98.06 | | 38,883 | 97.41 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 772 | 1.94 | | 1,033 | 2.59 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 39,855 | 100.00 | | 39,916 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 94,811 | 42.04 | | 94,811 | 42.10 | | |

### By-elections from November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period from November 2021.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 30 November 2022 | 4 | | Independent candidate | | African National Congress |
| 5 April 2023 | 16 | | Democratic Alliance | | Democratic Alliance |
After the murder of ward 4's independent councillor, Thabo Malatjie, in Lesotho, a by-election was held on 30 November. The ANC regained the seat, winning 62% of the vote.