# UMshwathi Local Municipality elections

The uMshwathi Local Municipality council consists of twent-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fourteen wards, while the remaining thirteen 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) won a majority of sixteen seats.

## Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ANC | DA | EFF | IFP | Other | Total |
| 2000 election | 11 | 1 | - | 7 | 3 | 22 |
| 2006 election | 14 | 2 | - | 5 | 1 | 22 |
| 2011 election | 19 | 2 | - | 3 | 2 | 26 |
| 2016 election | 20 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 27 |
| 2021 election | 16 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 27 |

## 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 | 8,083 | 50.86 | 8 | 7,978 | 50.32 | 3 | 11 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 4,910 | 30.89 | 2 | 4,969 | 31.34 | 5 | 7 |
| | Alliance of Associated Residents of KZ221 | 1,698 | 10.68 | 1 | 1,553 | 9.80 | 1 | 2 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 765 | 4.81 | 0 | 1,017 | 6.41 | 1 | 1 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 236 | 1.48 | 0 | 338 | 2.13 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 202 | 1.27 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 15,894 | 100.00 | 11 | 15,855 | 100.00 | 11 | 22 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 15,894 | 97.40 | | 15,855 | 97.23 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 424 | 2.60 | | 452 | 2.77 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 16,318 | 100.00 | | 16,307 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 36,308 | 44.94 | | 36,308 | 44.91 | | |

## 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 | 12,657 | 61.60 | 11 | 13,156 | 64.42 | 3 | 14 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 4,517 | 21.98 | 0 | 4,632 | 22.68 | 5 | 5 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,332 | 6.48 | 0 | 1,377 | 6.74 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,086 | 5.29 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 483 | 2.35 | 0 | 575 | 2.82 | 1 | 1 |
| | National Democratic Convention | 336 | 1.64 | 0 | 440 | 2.15 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 136 | 0.66 | 0 | 243 | 1.19 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 20,547 | 100.00 | 11 | 20,423 | 100.00 | 11 | 22 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 20,547 | 97.75 | | 20,423 | 97.46 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 474 | 2.25 | | 532 | 2.54 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 21,021 | 100.00 | | 20,955 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 40,743 | 51.59 | | 40,743 | 51.43 | | |

## 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 | 22,698 | 70.08 | 13 | 24,254 | 74.79 | 6 | 19 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 3,415 | 10.54 | 0 | 3,418 | 10.54 | 3 | 3 |
| | National Freedom Party | 2,028 | 6.26 | 0 | 2,077 | 6.40 | 2 | 2 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,981 | 6.12 | 0 | 2,072 | 6.39 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 1,511 | 4.67 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 366 | 1.13 | 0 | 352 | 1.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 391 | 1.21 | 0 | 255 | 0.79 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 32,390 | 100.00 | 13 | 32,428 | 100.00 | 13 | 26 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 32,390 | 97.71 | | 32,428 | 97.65 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 758 | 2.29 | | 782 | 2.35 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 33,148 | 100.00 | | 33,210 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 49,540 | 66.91 | | 49,540 | 67.04 | | |

## 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 | 26,120 | 70.43 | 14 | 27,196 | 74.96 | 6 | 20 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 4,336 | 11.69 | 0 | 4,401 | 12.13 | 4 | 4 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 2,924 | 7.88 | 0 | 3,074 | 8.47 | 2 | 2 |
| | Independent candidates | 2,454 | 6.62 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,096 | 2.96 | 0 | 1,291 | 3.56 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 157 | 0.42 | 0 | 319 | 0.88 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 37,087 | 100.00 | 14 | 36,281 | 100.00 | 13 | 27 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 37,087 | 98.10 | | 36,281 | 96.50 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 717 | 1.90 | | 1,317 | 3.50 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 37,804 | 100.00 | | 37,598 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 55,846 | 67.69 | | 55,846 | 67.32 | | |

## 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 | 17,294 | 59.19 | 14 | 17,115 | 58.54 | 2 | 16 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 4,155 | 14.22 | 0 | 4,554 | 15.58 | 4 | 4 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 3,605 | 12.34 | 0 | 3,656 | 12.50 | 3 | 3 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,973 | 6.75 | 0 | 1,945 | 6.65 | 2 | 2 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 1,186 | 4.06 | 0 | 1,220 | 4.17 | 1 | 1 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 399 | 1.37 | 0 | 480 | 1.64 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent candidates | 396 | 1.36 | 0 | | | | 0 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 116 | 0.40 | 0 | 149 | 0.51 | 0 | 0 |
| | National Freedom Party | 94 | 0.32 | 0 | 119 | 0.41 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 29,218 | 100.00 | 14 | 29,238 | 100.00 | 13 | 27 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 29,218 | 97.41 | | 29,238 | 97.70 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 776 | 2.59 | | 687 | 2.30 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 29,994 | 100.00 | | 29,925 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 56,822 | 52.79 | | 56,822 | 52.66 | | |

### 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 previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor |
| 8 March 2023 | 12 | | African National Congress | | African National Congress |
| 13 March 2024 | 6 | | African National Congress | | African National Congress |
In a ward 12 by-election, held on 8 March 2023 after the death of the ANC councillor, the ANC narrowly retained the ward after a large swing to the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).