# Abaqulusi Local Municipality elections

The Abaqulusi Local Municipality council within the South African Zululand District Municipality consists of forty-four members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-two councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-two 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 3 August 2016 no party obtained a majority. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) formed a government with the support of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
In the election of 1 November 2021 again no party obtained a majority, with the IFP obtaining a plurality of twenty-one seats.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ANC | DA | EFF | IFP | NFP | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | 7 | 5 | - | 27 | - | 0 | 39 |
| 2006 election | 10 | 4 | - | 22 | - | 3 | 39 |
| 2011 election | 17 | 3 | - | 16 | 7 | 1 | 44 |
| 2016 election | 21 | 3 | 1 | 19 | - | 0 | 44 |
| 2021 election | 14 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 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 | 19,877 | 68.84 | 16 | 20,062 | 69.18 | 11 | 27 |
| | African National Congress | 5,262 | 18.22 | 2 | 5,064 | 17.46 | 5 | 7 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 3,540 | 12.26 | 2 | 3,875 | 13.36 | 3 | 5 |
| | Independent candidates | 197 | 0.68 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 28,876 | 100.00 | 20 | 29,001 | 100.00 | 19 | 39 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 28,876 | 97.48 | | 29,001 | 97.58 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 748 | 2.52 | | 720 | 2.42 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 29,624 | 100.00 | | 29,721 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 66,023 | 44.87 | | 66,023 | 45.02 | | |

## 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 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 19,545 | 54.98 | 13 | 20,111 | 57.25 | 9 | 22 |
| | African National Congress | 9,551 | 26.87 | 4 | 9,678 | 27.55 | 6 | 10 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 3,265 | 9.18 | 2 | 3,317 | 9.44 | 2 | 4 |
| | National Democratic Convention | 1,207 | 3.40 | 0 | 1,356 | 3.86 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,452 | 4.08 | 1 | | | | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 530 | 1.49 | 0 | 669 | 1.90 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 35,550 | 100.00 | 20 | 35,131 | 100.00 | 19 | 39 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 35,550 | 98.03 | | 35,131 | 97.03 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 713 | 1.97 | | 1,076 | 2.97 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 36,263 | 100.00 | | 36,207 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 72,076 | 50.31 | | 72,076 | 50.23 | | |

## 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 | 19,082 | 38.10 | 10 | 19,506 | 38.95 | 7 | 17 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 17,639 | 35.22 | 10 | 17,434 | 34.81 | 6 | 16 |
| | National Freedom Party | 8,153 | 16.28 | 0 | 8,231 | 16.44 | 7 | 7 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 3,181 | 6.35 | 2 | 3,484 | 6.96 | 1 | 3 |
| | Owethu Residents Organisation | 1,187 | 2.37 | 0 | 957 | 1.91 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 439 | 0.88 | 0 | 153 | 0.31 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 291 | 0.58 | 0 | 240 | 0.48 | 0 | 0 |
| | Independent candidates | 103 | 0.21 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Royal Loyal Progress | 12 | 0.02 | 0 | 77 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 50,087 | 100.00 | 22 | 50,082 | 100.00 | 22 | 44 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 50,087 | 98.38 | | 50,082 | 98.49 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 825 | 1.62 | | 770 | 1.51 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 50,912 | 100.00 | | 50,852 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 84,131 | 60.52 | | 84,131 | 60.44 | | |

## 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 | 24,663 | 45.50 | 11 | 25,517 | 46.93 | 10 | 21 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 22,546 | 41.59 | 9 | 23,202 | 42.68 | 10 | 19 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 3,990 | 7.36 | 2 | 4,183 | 7.69 | 1 | 3 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 851 | 1.57 | 0 | 920 | 1.69 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,657 | 3.06 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 500 | 0.92 | 0 | 545 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 54,207 | 100.00 | 22 | 54,367 | 100.00 | 22 | 44 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 54,207 | 98.66 | | 54,367 | 98.79 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 739 | 1.34 | | 665 | 1.21 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 54,946 | 100.00 | | 55,032 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 97,881 | 56.14 | | 97,881 | 56.22 | | |

### August 2016 to November 2021 by-elections

In a by election held in March 2019 the ANC won a ward previously held by the IFP, reconstituting the council as follows:
| Party | Party | Ward | PR list | Total |
| | ANC | 12 | 10 | 22 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| | DA | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 22 | 22 | 44 |

## 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 | 19,921 | 44.07 | 18 | 21,175 | 46.62 | 3 | 21 |
| | African National Congress | 13,991 | 30.95 | 4 | 14,193 | 31.25 | 10 | 14 |
| | National Freedom Party | 3,438 | 7.61 | 0 | 3,422 | 7.53 | 4 | 4 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 2,302 | 5.09 | 0 | 2,456 | 5.41 | 3 | 3 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 2,232 | 4.94 | 1 | 2,361 | 5.20 | 1 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,500 | 3.32 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 573 | 1.27 | 0 | 552 | 1.22 | 1 | 1 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 350 | 0.77 | 0 | 293 | 0.65 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 248 | 0.55 | 0 | 255 | 0.56 | 0 | 0 |
| | Development of Jobs in Vryheid | 215 | 0.48 | 0 | 193 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Movement | 210 | 0.46 | 0 | 175 | 0.39 | 0 | 0 |
| | Land Party | 57 | 0.13 | 0 | 106 | 0.23 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Mantungwa Community | 72 | 0.16 | 0 | 69 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 51 | 0.11 | 0 | 64 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 |
| | The Organic Humanity Movement | 43 | 0.10 | 0 | 41 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | National People's Front | 3 | 0.01 | 0 | 61 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 45,206 | 100.00 | 23 | 45,416 | 100.00 | 22 | 45 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 45,206 | 98.58 | | 45,416 | 98.67 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 650 | 1.42 | | 610 | 1.33 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 45,856 | 100.00 | | 46,026 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 96,719 | 47.41 | | 96,719 | 47.59 | | |

### 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 newly elected councillor |
| 30 November 2022 | 13 | Inkatha Freedom Party | Inkatha Freedom Party |
| 5 April 2023 | 12 | African National Congress | African National Congress |
| 7 February 2024 | 8 | Inkatha Freedom Party | Inkatha Freedom Party |
After the death of the previous IFP councillor in a car accident, a by-election was held on 30 November. The IFP candidate improved the party's showing, increasing their vote share from 34% to 59%.
After the resignation of the ward 8 councillor, the resulting by-election saw the first electoral contest by the uMkhonto we Sizwe, which finished third, with 19%, behind the African National Congress (ANC) on 31%. The IFP retained the seat with 47%.