# UMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality elections

The uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality council consists of thirty-five members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Eighteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in eighteen wards, while the remaining seventeen 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 3 August 2016 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of twenty-two seats on the council.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ANC | DA | EFF | IFP | NFP | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | 5 | - | - | 19 | - | 0 | 24 |
| 2006 election | 12 | - | - | 14 | - | 0 | 26 |
| 2011 election | 22 | 0 | - | 8 | 4 | 0 | 34 |
| 2016 election | 22 | 1 | 1 | 10 | - | 1 | 35 |
| 2021 election | 18 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 39 |

## 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 | 16,983 | 80.26 | 12 | 17,008 | 80.39 | 7 | 19 |
| | African National Congress | 4,070 | 19.24 | 0 | 4,149 | 19.61 | 5 | 5 |
| | Independent candidates | 106 | 0.50 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 21,159 | 100.00 | 12 | 21,157 | 100.00 | 12 | 24 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 21,159 | 96.81 | | 21,157 | 96.74 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 697 | 3.19 | | 713 | 3.26 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 21,856 | 100.00 | | 21,870 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 41,401 | 52.79 | | 41,401 | 52.82 | | |

## 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 | 16,250 | 54.25 | 8 | 15,948 | 53.21 | 6 | 14 |
| | African National Congress | 13,629 | 45.50 | 5 | 13,582 | 45.32 | 7 | 12 |
| | National Democratic Convention | 74 | 0.25 | 0 | 440 | 1.47 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 29,953 | 100.00 | 13 | 29,970 | 100.00 | 13 | 26 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 29,953 | 96.80 | | 29,970 | 97.04 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 989 | 3.20 | | 915 | 2.96 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 30,942 | 100.00 | | 30,885 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 53,047 | 58.33 | | 53,047 | 58.22 | | |

## 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 | 25,584 | 63.46 | 17 | 25,952 | 64.53 | 5 | 22 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 9,387 | 23.28 | 0 | 9,183 | 22.83 | 8 | 8 |
| | National Freedom Party | 4,546 | 11.28 | 0 | 4,365 | 10.85 | 4 | 4 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 366 | 0.91 | 0 | 162 | 0.40 | 0 | 0 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 193 | 0.48 | 0 | 327 | 0.81 | 0 | 0 |
| | Federal Congress | 125 | 0.31 | 0 | 145 | 0.36 | 0 | 0 |
| | South African Democratic Congress | 116 | 0.29 | 0 | 84 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 40,317 | 100.00 | 17 | 40,218 | 100.00 | 17 | 34 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 40,317 | 98.14 | | 40,218 | 98.13 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 763 | 1.86 | | 767 | 1.87 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 41,080 | 100.00 | | 40,985 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 65,406 | 62.81 | | 65,406 | 62.66 | | |

## 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 | 27,912 | 56.58 | 17 | 28,836 | 60.05 | 5 | 22 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 13,304 | 26.97 | 1 | 13,897 | 28.94 | 9 | 10 |
| | Independent candidates | 5,212 | 10.57 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | African Independent Congress | 1,065 | 2.16 | 0 | 2,865 | 5.97 | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 933 | 1.89 | 0 | 1,278 | 2.66 | 1 | 1 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 905 | 1.83 | 0 | 1,140 | 2.37 | 1 | 1 |
| | Zulu Royal Property | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 49,331 | 100.00 | 18 | 48,016 | 100.00 | 17 | 35 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 49,331 | 97.19 | | 48,016 | 95.52 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,428 | 2.81 | | 2,251 | 4.48 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 50,759 | 100.00 | | 50,267 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 79,546 | 63.81 | | 79,546 | 63.19 | | |

### August 2016 to November 2021 by-elections

Following a by election which took place in March 2019 the ANC won a ward previously held by the IFP, and the council was reconstituted as follows:
| Party | Party | Ward | PR list | Total |
| | ANC | 18 | 5 | 23 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| | AIC | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | DA | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 18 | 17 | 35 |

## 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 | 21,619 | 44.95 | 12 | 21,884 | 46.34 | 6 | 18 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 16,667 | 34.65 | 8 | 17,849 | 37.79 | 7 | 15 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 2,078 | 4.32 | 0 | 2,167 | 4.59 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 2,950 | 6.13 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Abahlali Base Mkhanyakude Movement | 1,042 | 2.17 | 0 | 1,113 | 2.36 | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 888 | 1.85 | 0 | 951 | 2.01 | 1 | 1 |
| | National Freedom Party | 724 | 1.51 | 0 | 728 | 1.54 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 641 | 1.33 | 0 | 699 | 1.48 | 1 | 1 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 590 | 1.23 | 0 | 616 | 1.30 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Independent Congress | 535 | 1.11 | 0 | 654 | 1.38 | 0 | 0 |
| | Justice and Employment Party | 121 | 0.25 | 0 | 208 | 0.44 | 0 | 0 |
| | Black First Land First | 82 | 0.17 | 0 | 94 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Christian Democratic Party | 73 | 0.15 | 0 | 53 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 51 | 0.11 | 0 | 69 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | People's Freedom Party | 20 | 0.04 | 0 | 72 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Movement | 12 | 0.02 | 0 | 45 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 |
| | Umnotho Democratic Front | 5 | 0.01 | 0 | 26 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 |
| | Zulu Royal Property | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 48,099 | 100.00 | 20 | 47,228 | 100.00 | 19 | 39 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 48,099 | 97.54 | | 47,228 | 97.06 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,212 | 2.46 | | 1,429 | 2.94 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 49,311 | 100.00 | | 48,657 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 85,431 | 57.72 | | 85,431 | 56.95 | | |

### By-elections from November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period from the election in 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 |
| 26 Apr 2023 | 19 | | African National Congress | | Inkatha Freedom Party |
| 13 Feb 2025 | 15 | | African National Congress | | Inkatha Freedom Party |
Following the February 2025 by-election, the Inkatha Freedom Party became the largest party. The council composition is as follows:
| Party | Ward seats | List seats | Total seats |
| Inkatha Freedom Party | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| African National Congress | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Abahlali Base Mkhanyakude Movement | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Democratic Alliance | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| National Freedom Party | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| African Christian Democratic Party | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 20 | 19 | 39 |