HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 2021 South African municipal elections were held on 1 November 2021, to elect councils for all
district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
. It is the sixth municipal election held in South Africa since the end of
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
in 1994, held every five years. The previous municipal elections were held in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
. On 21 April 2021, President
Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...
announced that the elections will be held on Wednesday, 27 October 2021. It had been recommend by
Dikgang Moseneke Dikgang Ernest Moseneke (born 20 December 1947) is a South African judge and former Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa. Biography Moseneke was born in Pretoria and went to school there. He joined the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) at the ag ...
to delay the municipal elections until 2022. The
Electoral Commission of South Africa The Electoral Commission of South Africa (often referred to as the Independent Electoral Commission or IEC) is South Africa's election management body, an independent organisation established under chapter nine of the Constitution. It conducts e ...
(IEC) requested the
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
to support the date postponement. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supported the date postponement while the Democratic Alliance (DA) was against the postponement of the date. The Constitutional Court dismissed the application to postpone the date until 2022, ruling that they had to take place between 27 October and 1 November. On 9 September 2021, the
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is a Minister in the Cabinet of South Africa who is responsible for the Department of Cooperative Governance The Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) is a department of the S ...
, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced that the elections would be held on 1 November.


Electoral system

Local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
in South Africa consists of municipalities of various types. The largest metropolitan areas are governed by metropolitan municipalities, while the rest of the country is divided into district municipalities, each of which consists of several local municipalities. After the 2016 elections, there were eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities. The councils of metropolitan and local municipalities are elected through a system of mixed-member proportional representation, in which half of the seats in each municipality are elected on the
first-past-the-post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...
system in single-member wards and the other half of the seats are allocated according to the
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
(PR) system. The latter takes into account the number of ward seats won by a party and ensures that the final number of seats held by that party is proportional to their percentage of the total vote. District municipality councils are partly elected by proportional representation (DC 40% votes) and partly appointed by the councils of the constituent local municipalities (DC 60% votes). Voters in both metropolitan and local municipalities elect a single ward candidate as well as a proportional representative in their municipal council. Residents of municipalities that form part of district councils (that is, excluding metropolitan municipalities) also cast a third vote to elect a proportional representative for their district council in addition to the two votes they cast for their local council.


Timeline


31 October 2021

8:00 – Special voting begins for the over 1.1 million individuals registered. In Ward 93, Kusakusa Primary School, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, the IEC allegedly caught individuals committing electoral fraud. An investigation is currently underway regarding the matter.


1 November 2021

8:00 – Elections begin nationwide. 12:00 – A voting station in KwaZulu-Natal is set on fire. 13:00 – A Journalist is arrested and later released following a squabble at a voting station in
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
. 14:00 – Protests break out in
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
as President
Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...
makes his way to Chiawelo to cast his ballot. 15:00 – The IEC warns and advises individuals on taking pictures inside voting booths, due to time constraints. 15:30 – Residents dig trenches to bar IEC officials from entering a voting station in the Eastern Cape. 19:00 –
Helen Zille Otta Helene Maree (''née'' Zille ; born 9 March 1951), known as Helen Zille, is a South African politician. She has served as the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance since 20 October 2019. From 2009 until 2019, she w ...
is forcibly removed from a voting station in
Bethelsdorp Bethelsdorp is a town in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, 20 km north-west of Port Elizabeth. History Established in 1803 by Rev. J.T. van der Kemp on the farm Roodepas of Theunis Bo ...
. 21:00 – Voting polls close.


Political parties

There are 325 parties contesting the election. The ruling
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
(ANC) has been the majority party in most municipalities across South Africa, with the exception of those in the Western Cape, since 1994. Its overall share of the vote decreased from 61.95% in 2011 to 53.91% in 2016 amid growing discontent regarding the state of the country's economy and perceived corruption within the organisation. The party lost many municipalities and support in the previous municipal elections, including the mayoralty and majority in councils such as
Nelson Mandela Bay Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality ( af, Nelson Mandelabaai Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit; xh, uMasipala wase Nelson Mandela Bay or ''uMasipala waseBhayi'') is one of eight metropolitan municipalities (also called Category A municipalities) in So ...
,
Tshwane The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (also known as the City of Tshwane) () is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pr ...
and Johannesurg. The party had to form coalitions to retain control of the City of Ekurhuleni and many other municipalities. The ANC has managed to gain back control in many municipalities through motions of no confidence. Although the party ousted the Democratic Alliance administration in Nelson Mandela Bay, the party voted to elect a mayor from the
United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is a centre-left, social-democratic, South African political party, formed by a prominent former National Party leader, Roelf Meyer (who has since resigned from the UDM), a former African National Congress ...
(UDM). The ANC was led by Jacob Zuma until he was replaced by
Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...
at the 57th National Conference in December 2017. Ramaphosa assumed the presidency in February 2018 and the ANC won the 2019 national elections with a slight decrease in the number of votes. The ANC regained control of the
City of Johannesburg The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a Metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is divided into several branches and departments in or ...
on 4 December 2019 following the election of its regional leader,
Geoff Makhubo Moloantoa Geoffrey Makhubo (8 February 1968 – 9 July 2021) was a South African politician who served as the Mayor of Johannesburg from December 2019 until his death from COVID-19 in July 2021. He was a member of the African National Congress an ...
, to the mayoralty. The party voted to remove the UDM mayor of
Nelson Mandela Bay Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality ( af, Nelson Mandelabaai Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit; xh, uMasipala wase Nelson Mandela Bay or ''uMasipala waseBhayi'') is one of eight metropolitan municipalities (also called Category A municipalities) in So ...
on 5 December 2019. The party announced its election manifesto on 27 September 2021. Ramaphosa said that mayors would not be appointed based on popularity. The official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) increased its total share of the vote from 23.94% in 2011 to 26.90% in 2016. The party gained significant support and control of municipalities all across South Africa whilst assuming control of most Western Cape councils. In addition, the party gained three metropolitan municipalities from the ANC – Tshwane, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay. The party did increase its majority in
City of Cape Town The City of Cape Town ( af, Stad Kaapstad; xh, IsiXeko saseKapa) is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,740,026. The remo ...
. The DA lost control of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality in August 2018, after a motion of no confidence ousted the DA mayor
Athol Trollip Roland Athol Price Trollip (born 12 March 1964) is a South African politician and provincial chairman of ActionSA in the Eastern Cape. He was previously a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), serving as the Federal Chairperson of the DA from ...
. The party's support decreased in the 2019 national elections. Following the national elections, the DA has shown a growing decrease in support in subsequent municipal by-elections.
Mmusi Maimane Mmusi Aloysias Maimane (born 6 June 1980) is a South African politician, businessman, and Leader of Build One South Africa, a political party. Maimane is also the former Leader of South Africa, South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance (So ...
resigned as DA leader in October 2019, and
John Steenhuisen John Henry Steenhuisen (born 25 March 1976) is a South African politician who has served as the leader of the Opposition since October 2019 and has been the federal leader of the Democratic Alliance since November 2020, having served as the in ...
was elected as interim party leader in November 2019. The DA lost control of the
City of Johannesburg The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a Metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is divided into several branches and departments in or ...
in December 2019. Steenhuisen was elected leader of the party for a full term in November 2020. The DA launched their manifesto on 25 September 2021. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a splinter party of the ANC that was formed in July 2013 by expelled ANC Youth League leader,
Julius Malema Julius Sello Malema (born 3 March 1981) is a South African politician and activist who is a Member of Parliament and the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a left-wing party which he founded in 2013. He was formerly the President of ...
. The party was considered the kingmaker for the control of many councils in the aftermath of the 2016 municipal elections. The party increased their support in the 2019 national elections and is the second-largest party in three out of the nine provinces. The party launched its manifesto on 26 September 2021. The
Inkatha Freedom Party The Inkatha Freedom Party ( zu, IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko, IFP) is a right-wing political party in South Africa. The party has been led by Velenkosini Hlabisa since the party's 2019 National General Conference. Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded t ...
(IFP) saw an increase in their share of the vote in 2016 to just over 4 percent, which gave them control of 11 local municipalities and 2 district municipalities, they also co-govern Johannesburg as part of a coalition. The party was looking to build on their resurgence within their traditional stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal as well as make inroads in other provinces since, for the first time in their history, the party was led by a new president. The
Freedom Front Plus The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus; af, Vryheidsfront Plus, ''VF Plus'') is a right-wing political party in South Africa that was formed (as the Freedom Front) in 1994. It is led by Pieter Groenewald. Its current stated policy positions include ab ...
(FF Plus) won 0.8% of the vote (229,281 votes) in the 2016 municipal elections and formed a coalition to govern with the DA in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Hessequa. The party significantly increased their support in the 2019 general elections, winning 2.38% of the vote and just over 400,000 votes. In subsequent municipal by-elections, the party has won wards off the DA in the North West and increased their support in Gauteng and Limpopo. The party fielded candidates in 3,158 of the 4,468 wards in 184 of the 257 councils and sought to make inroads in the Western Cape by promising minority rights protection. The
National Freedom Party The National Freedom Party (NFP) is a South African political party. It was launched on 25 January 2011 by Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi, former chairperson of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), along with other former IFP members. Election results ...
won 10.4% of the votes cast in KwaZulu-Natal province in 2011, including a majority of seats in the
eDumbe Local Municipality eDumbe Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Zululand District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The municipality is named after the Dumbe mountain. Only 23% of the municipality’s population live in an urban area while 77% live ...
and a plurality in Nongoma Local Municipality. The party was disqualified from participating in 2016 after failing to pay the election fee, but is hoping for a good result in KwaZulu-Natal. However, it experienced a setback with the death of its leader, Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi, in September.
ActionSA ActionSA is a South African political party established by former mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba, soon after he left the Democratic Alliance. The party states that it has been established to "set South Africa free from the restraints of ...
was a new party, established by the former mayor of Johannesburg
Herman Mashaba Herman Samtseu Philip Mashaba (born August 26, 1959) is a South African politician, entrepreneur and the current president of ActionSA, a party he launched on 29 August 2020. He served as the Mayor of Johannesburg from 2016 to 2019. He is the fo ...
, which gained significant attention especially within the provinces of
Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...
and
Kwazulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...
. The party gained influential former DA and
ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
members.
Good In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...
was established by
Patricia de Lille Patricia de Lille (née Lindt; born 17 February 1951) is a South African politician who is the current Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure and leader of the political party Good. She was previously Mayor of Cape Town from 2011 to 2018, ...
in 2018, and ran candidates in 1000 wards and 45 municipalities. It was particularly focused on the Western Cape, where it won 3% of the vote in the provincial legislature in the 2019 South African general election.


Pre-election coalition governments

The 2016 municipal elections resulted in many hung councils across South Africa. The ANC lost its council majority in four metropolitan municipalities –
Tshwane The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (also known as the City of Tshwane) () is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pr ...
,
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
,
Nelson Mandela Bay Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality ( af, Nelson Mandelabaai Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit; xh, uMasipala wase Nelson Mandela Bay or ''uMasipala waseBhayi'') is one of eight metropolitan municipalities (also called Category A municipalities) in So ...
, City of Ekurhuleni. This consequently created an opportunity for opposition parties to form coalitions to achieve the mayoralties of these key municipalities. The EFF was essentially seen as the kingmaker and voted with the DA to install DA mayors in three out of the four metros and also in smaller local municipalities. The ANC managed to hold on to the City of Ekurhuleni through a coalition with smaller parties, and later won back the City of Johannesburg. Eventually, through motions of no-confidence, the ANC managed to regain control of a select few municipalities. Even though an ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence removed the DA administration in Nelson Mandela Bay, the ANC voted for a
United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is a centre-left, social-democratic, South African political party, formed by a prominent former National Party leader, Roelf Meyer (who has since resigned from the UDM), a former African National Congress ...
(UDM) mayor. In July 2019, the EFF announced that it would no longer support the DA or ANC in minority councils. The party made this announcement after the DA rejected their offer for co-governance in the
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
and
Tshwane The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (also known as the City of Tshwane) () is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pr ...
metropolitan municipalities. The EFF sought the Tshwane mayoralty and MMCs in the Johannesburg Mayoral Committee and the DA declined the EFF's proposal, stating that they would rather prefer that the ''status quo'' remain.


Campaign issues

Corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
and basic municipal management were significant campaign issues in the run up to the election. The ANC lead their election campaign with the slogan "''We will do and be better''" in recognition of the governing party's weak record in municipal governance whilst committing to improve. The DA campaigned on "''get the basics right''" and "''getting things done''" also in reference to the ANC's weak record in municipal government whilst the EFF used the slogan "''Jobs and Land, Now!''" in a continuation of its 2016 election slogan.


Municipal governance

The ANC pledged select and appoint better local representatives who are "committed to service delivery" and to "deliver services promptly and consistently." This included a commitment to implement lifestyle audits and signed performance contracts. The party also promised to minimize the impact of the
South African energy crisis The South African energy crisis is an ongoing period of widespread national blackouts of electricity supply. It began in the later months of 2007 and continues to the present. The South African government-owned national power utility and primary ...
by stabilising the state energy provider's,
Eskom Eskom Hld SOC Ltd or Eskom is a South African electricity public utility. It was established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission (ESCOM) and was also known by its Afrikaans name Elektrisiteitsvoorsieningskommissie (EVKOM). Eskom repre ...
, financial stability and increase the use of
renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
. The DA drew attention to their own track record of municipal management in comparison to the ANC's troubled record of local governance as a reason to vote for them. DA run municipalities such as
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
and
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
were given by the party as examples where they had to use their position in government to work to minimize the impact of the South African energy crisis on a local level, maintain infrastructure, and provide affordable mass transportation services. The
EFF EFF or eff may refer to: Politics * Economic Freedom Fighters, a South African communist political party * Economic Freedom Fund, an American political organization * Election Fighting Fund, a British suffragist organization supporting the ear ...
promised to implement a property wealth tax to subsidise indigent families, a land audit to help reduce land hunger, and expanded use renewable energy and localised waste water recycling. The IFP promised to provide an alternative to what they described as the "ANC's failure to govern" by requiring IFP representatives individually pledge to govern with integrity. The GOOD party pledged to increase municipal investment in
informal settlements Informal housing or informal settlement can include any form of housing, shelter, or settlement (or lack thereof) which is illegal, falls outside of government control or regulation, or is not afforded protection by the state. As such, the inform ...
, support higher density housing, reduce property speculation, abolish e-tolls, and encourage municipalities to increase their use of renewable energy. ActionSA promised equitable rates and free basic services for indigent households whilst cutting unnecessary costs in local government, reducing illegal electrical connections, and keeping public spaces clean. The Freedom Front Plus promised to end Affirmative Action in municipalities and to do an audit on all municipal employees' qualifications to ensure that they are qualified for their jobs. Party leader
Pieter Groenewald Petrus Johannes "Pieter" Groenewald (born 27 August 1955) is a South African politician. He has been serving as the Leader of the Freedom Front Plus since his election in November 2016. He started his political career by being elected Mayor of S ...
said that all appointments should be made on merit. The party advocated for the decentralisation of municipalities, as Groenewald alleged that the amalgamation of municipalities had weakened service delivery.


Corruption

The
ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
stated that they would "spare no effort in rooting out corruption" and committed to implement the Anti-corruption Strategy under the Justice and Crime Prevention Cluster,
SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''sever ...
Anti-Corruption Unit. The DA promised to eliminate corruption by adopting and applying "best practice in good governance," end the practice of cadre deployment, and appoint professional government officials; the party also highlighted the relatively high number of clean audits DA-run municipalities have received in the Western Cape. The EFF has proposed setting up corruption hotlines and compensating
whistleblower A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...
s. The IFP promised to reduce corruption by establishing a specialised corruption court. GOOD party also promised to end cadre deployment and prosecute corrupt politicians. ActionSA promised to appoint ethical public officials, introduce lifestyle audits and minimum turnaround times on service delivery issues.


Decentralisation

Political parties debated and campaigned on the issue of decentralising power away from the national government towards local authorities, this is most pronounced in the
Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
province. The DA wants policing, electricity generation, taxation and rail control decentralised to the province, on the other hand the ANC wants to centralise what control local authorities have over policing to national government. Other parties such as the FF+, Cape Coloured Congress and
Cape Independence Party The Cape Independence Party (CAPEXIT), previously called the Cape Party, is a political party in South Africa which seeks to use all constitutional and legal means to bring about Cape Independence, which includes the entire Western Cape, North ...
(CIP) explicitly campaigned on a tickets of outright independence for the Western Cape province. The DA has stated it supports the right to hold a referendum to Western Cape independence but does not support independence itself. Parties opposed to this call include the ANC, EFF, Al-Jam-ah and GOOD.


Economy

The ANC promised to reduce youth unemployment and increase educational opportunities whilst strengthening social security for vulnerable groups and expanding mass employment programs. The DA stated that they would encourage economic growth in DA run municipalities by increasing the ease of doing business in them and reducing excessive bureaucracy. The EFF pledged to setup municipal level
special economic zone A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
s to encourage economic growth, support street vendors and black-owned farms. The IFP committed to delivering jobs and enhance food security. GOOD promised to provide policy certainty for investors whilst reducing excessive bureaucracy for businesses. ActionSA promised to repeal restrictive legislation, support youth employment, and implement a property audit to identify and reuse abandoned or stolen buildings. The FF Plus promised to provide land in industrial areas to people who want to start businesses, free of charge and that local businesses must be preferred when it came to tenders.


Crime

The ANC repeated previous election commitments to fight gender based violence, reduce drug abuse and focus on crime reduction in high crime urban areas. The DA promised to reduce crime by expanding investment in localised law enforcement in DA run municipalities whilst focusing on the causes of crime. The IFP committed to working with traditional leaders to provide better security to communities.


Target municipalities

Following the 2019 general elections, political parties started to strategise and plan their 2021 municipal elections campaigns.


City of Cape Town

The
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
in the Western Cape announced after the 2019 election results were released, that the results were a platform for the party to retake control of the
City of Cape Town The City of Cape Town ( af, Stad Kaapstad; xh, IsiXeko saseKapa) is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,740,026. The remo ...
. The ANC lost control of the metropolitan municipality in 2006. The results also showed that smaller political parties had made inroads in the city's suburbs and communities. Notable issues campaigned on in the Cape Town mayoral election was the provision of public housing, public safety, and local solutions to the South African energy crisis. The Democratic Alliance's support in the city dropped. In the national election, the party declined with six percentage points, obtaining only 53%, compared to 59% in the 2014 elections. The party's support decreased from the 67% it had achieved in the 2016 municipal elections to only 56% in the provincial election. The newly established political party
Good In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...
, led by former DA mayor
Patricia de Lille Patricia de Lille (née Lindt; born 17 February 1951) is a South African politician who is the current Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure and leader of the political party Good. She was previously Mayor of Cape Town from 2011 to 2018, ...
, and the Economic Freedom Fighters both earned some support in the city. In April 2021, the DA announced that current mayor
Dan Plato Daniel Plato (born 5 October 1960), known as Dan Plato, is a South African politician and a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament since January 2022, previously serving from June 2011 until October 2018. He is the former mayor of Cap ...
, Western Cape provincial leader
Bonginkosi Madikizela Bonginkosi Success Madikizela (born 15 March 1975) is a South African politician. Born in Port Shepstone, in the province of Natal, Madikizela soon moved to Khayelitsha and became politically active in the area. He was a member of the African N ...
, and shadow finance minister
Geordin Hill-Lewis Geordin Gwyn Hill-Lewis (born 31 December 1986) is a South African politician who is the Mayor of Cape Town. A member of the Democratic Alliance, he was elected mayor in November 2021. Hill-Lewis attended Edgemead High School, obtained an Honou ...
had applied to be the party's mayoral candidate. Madikizela later resigned as provincial leader and from all active party roles and dropped out of the selection process, following a scandal over his qualifications. Hill-Lewis was considered the front-runner for the position. On 23 August 2021, DA leader
John Steenhuisen John Henry Steenhuisen (born 25 March 1976) is a South African politician who has served as the leader of the Opposition since October 2019 and has been the federal leader of the Democratic Alliance since November 2020, having served as the in ...
announced Hill-Lewis as the party's candidate for mayor. On 22 August 2021, Good Secretary-General and Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Brett Herron, was announced as the party's mayoral candidate for the metro. The VF Plus nominated former ID, DA and ANC member
Lennit Max Lennit Hendry Max (born 1961/62) is a South African politician, advocate and police officer who served as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament (2014–2018; 2004–2010), as Shadow Deputy Minister of Correctional Services (2010– ...
as its candidate for mayor. Community activist Marvin Sampson from
Mitchells Plain Mitchells Plain is a large township located within the City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa and situated about from the Cape Town city centre. It is one of South Africa's largest residential areas and contains multiple smaller suburbs ...
was the Patriotic Alliance's mayoral candidate. Former Capetonian spokesperson and current Cape Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams also ran for mayor, while the Spectrum National Party selected Christopher Claassen as the party's mayoral candidate for the city.


eThekwini

In the 2019 general elections, the African National Congress declined in the metropolitan municipality, centred around
Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
. In the provincial election, the ANC's support decreased by 11 percentage points compared to 2014 results, and 10 percentage points in the national election. The DA's support in the city remained relatively stable. The decline of the ANC can be attributed to the strong showing of the EFF and the resurgence of the
Inkatha Freedom Party The Inkatha Freedom Party ( zu, IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko, IFP) is a right-wing political party in South Africa. The party has been led by Velenkosini Hlabisa since the party's 2019 National General Conference. Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded t ...
. Controversial ANC mayor
Zandile Gumede Zandile Ruth Thelma Gumede (born 12 May 1961) is a South African who has been serving as a Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature since 2020. She served as the Executive Mayor of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality from 2016 unti ...
resigned as mayor in 2019 and was replaced with
Mxolisi Kaunda Thomas Mxolisi Kaunda (born 13 September 1972) is a South African politician from KwaZulu-Natal serving as the Mayor of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality since 2019. He was the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaiso ...
.
Makhosi Khoza Makhosi Busisiwe Khoza is a South African politician who was the ActionSA candidate for Mayor of eThekwini in the 2021 municipal elections. She was previously an ANC Member of Parliament (MP) who served as chairperson of the Portfolio Committe ...
stood as the ActionSA candidate for mayor.


Tshwane

Following the general elections in 2014, the DA received more votes than the then-ruling ANC in the municipality. Analysts at the time suggested that the ANC would lose its majority in 2016.Huge shift looms in Tshwane at 2021 elections
Retrieved on 7 July 2019.
The Democratic Alliance achieved a plurality of votes in the metropolitan municipality in the 2016 municipal elections. The party formed a coalition with smaller parties that were supported by the EFF. DA Gauteng Provincial Legislature Member
Solly Msimanga Solly Tshepiso Msimanga (born 16 July 1980) is a South African politician serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since May 2019. He has been a Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Member of the Gauteng Provincia ...
was elected mayor. Msimanga resigned in February 2019 and was succeeded by DA Member of Parliament Stevens Mokgalapa. In the 2019 elections, the party had a dismal showing and only received 29.52% of the provincial vote in the municipality, even though former mayor Msimanga was the party's premier candidate. The party's support was even lower on the national vote. The ANC regained lost ground, while the EFF made gains. Following the elections, the EFF proposed that the party should co-govern with the DA in the
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
and
Tshwane The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (also known as the City of Tshwane) () is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pr ...
metropolitan municipalities. The DA rejected the EFF's proposal, which led to the EFF withdrawing its support from the DA in all minority councils. Mokgalapa was removed as mayor via a motion of no-confidence on 5 December 2019, but the Gauteng High Court later suspended his removal. However, he announced his resignation as mayor in February 2020. The DA had selected former MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning Randall Williams as its preferred mayoral candidate for the city. On 5 March 2020, the Tshwane Metro Municipality was placed under administration by the Gauteng Provincial Government and the council was consequently dissolved. A new council was supposed to be elected. The DA took the matter to court. On 29 April 2020, the
North Gauteng High Court The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law which has general jurisdiction over the South African province of Gauteng and the eastern part of North West province. The main seat of the division is at Pretoria, ...
overturned the decision by the provincial government. On 7 May, the ANC lodged an appeal against the judgement. After months of legal challenges, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned the provincial government's decision on 27 October 2020. Soon after, the DA's Randall Williams was elected mayor. Williams was up against MMC for shared services Sylvester Phokoje for the DA's mayoral candidate position. On 23 August 2021, Williams was announced as the DA's mayoral candidate for the metro in the 2021 local government elections. Also contesting the mayoralty were Sarah Mabotsa of the Good party and Abel Tau of ActionSA.


City of Johannesburg

The ANC lost control of the
City of Johannesburg The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a Metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is divided into several branches and departments in or ...
in 2016, and the Democratic Alliance's mayoral candidate
Herman Mashaba Herman Samtseu Philip Mashaba (born August 26, 1959) is a South African politician, entrepreneur and the current president of ActionSA, a party he launched on 29 August 2020. He served as the Mayor of Johannesburg from 2016 to 2019. He is the fo ...
assumed the mayoralty. He held the position until he stepped down in 2019. The election for the mayor was held on 4 December 2019. The DA nominated Finance MMC Funzela Ngobeni to succeed Mashaba, while the ANC nominated its regional chair
Geoff Makhubo Moloantoa Geoffrey Makhubo (8 February 1968 – 9 July 2021) was a South African politician who served as the Mayor of Johannesburg from December 2019 until his death from COVID-19 in July 2021. He was a member of the African National Congress an ...
. The EFF designated Musa Novela as its candidate. Makhubo won the election, marking the return of the ANC to the city's executive since its removal in 2016. Mashaba subsequently announced that he would be running for mayor again under the banner of his new party,
ActionSA ActionSA is a South African political party established by former mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba, soon after he left the Democratic Alliance. The party states that it has been established to "set South Africa free from the restraints of ...
. Makhubo died on 9 July 2021 and
Eunice Mgcina The Mayor of Johannesburg is the chief executive of the City Council and the highest elected position in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. List of mayors * Johan Zulch de Villiers (1897–1900) Appointed by South African Republic Execut ...
was appointed acting mayor. Former Finance MMC
Jolidee Matongo Jolidee Matongo (1974 – 18 September 2021) was a South African politician who served as the mayor of Johannesburg from 10 August 2021 until his death on 18 September 2021. Prior to his election as mayor, he served as the member of the mayoral c ...
was elected mayor on 10 August 2021. The city lost its mayor for a second time in short sequence, when Matongo was involved in a fatal car accident on 18 September. DA caucus leader Leah Knott and former MMC for Social Development Dr Mpho Phalatse applied to be the DA's mayoral candidate for the city. On 23 August 2021, Phalatse was announced as the DA's mayoral candidate. Lloyd Phillips was the Good party candidate for mayor.


Nelson Mandela Bay

After the 2016 elections, the DA was the largest party in this previously ANC-controlled metro, but without a majority.
Athol Trollip Roland Athol Price Trollip (born 12 March 1964) is a South African politician and provincial chairman of ActionSA in the Eastern Cape. He was previously a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), serving as the Federal Chairperson of the DA from ...
of the DA was elected mayor with the support of smaller parties. He remained in office until he was narrowly voted out in 2018, after a vote of no confidence. ANC and other parties then elected Mongameli Bobani of the
United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is a centre-left, social-democratic, South African political party, formed by a prominent former National Party leader, Roelf Meyer (who has since resigned from the UDM), a former African National Congress ...
as the new mayor. He was, in turn, removed in December 2019 by an overwhelming majority through a vote supported by almost all parties in the council. After a long period with interim leadership,
Nqaba Bhanga Bennet Mzwenqaba Bhanga (born 28 August 1977), known as Nqaba Bhanga, is a South African politician. He is the current Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance (South Africa), Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape and the Leader of th ...
of the DA was elected mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay in December 2020. He has been nominated by the DA as the party's mayoral candidate for the metro municipality in the 2021 local government elections. On 13 September, Good announced Lawrence Troon as their candidate for mayor.


Opinion polling


Voter turnout

An IEC statement indicated that by 6pm on election day, only 8 million of the 26.2 million registered voters had cast their ballot, the lowest turnout in 27 years, at around only 30.52%, compared to a 2016 voter turnout of 57%. The final figure remained at a record-low of 45,87%.


Results

Elections began 7:00 SAST for the general public and closed 21:00 SAST. All vote counting was concluded and results were announced on 4 November.


National results by party

, - style="background:#e9e9e9;" !rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align:left", Party !colspan="2" style="text-align:center", Ward !colspan="2" style="text-align:center", PR !colspan="2" style="text-align:center", Ward + PR !colspan="2" style="text-align:center", DC !colspan="2" style="text-align:center", Total !colspan="2" style="text-align:centre", change , - style="background:#e9e9e9;" !Votes !% !Votes !% !''Votes'' !''%'' !Votes !% !Votes !% !% 2016 !% Change , - , , , 5,291,101, , 45.06 %, , 5,402,792, , 46.12 %, , 10,693,893, , 45.59 %, , 3,838,015, , 53.84 %, , 14,531,908, , 47.52 %, , 55.65%, , 8.13% , - , , , 2,527,862, , 21.53 %, , 2,543,764, , 21.72 %, , 5,071,626, , 21.62 %, , 995,803, , 13.97 %, , 6,067,429, , 19.84 %, , 24.57%, , 4.73% , - , , , 1,193,985, , 10.17 %, , 1,225,445, , 10.46 %, , 2,419,430, , 10.32 %, , 804,398, , 11.28 %, , 3,223,828, , 10.54 %, , 8.31%, , 2.23% , - , , , 638,963, , 5.44 %, , 685,942, , 5.86 %, , 1,324,905, , 5.65 %, , 591,265, , 8.29 %, , 1,916,170, , 6.27 %, , 4.73%, , 1.54% , - , , , 276,136, , 2.35 %, , 273,213, , 2.33 %, , 549,349, , 2.34 %, , 161,056, , 2.26 %, , 710,405, , 2.32 %, , 0.80%, , 1.50% , - , , , 241,735, , 2.06%, , 306,127, , 2.61%, , 547,862 , , 2.34%, , 8,816 , , 0.12%, , 556,678 , , 1.82%, , –, , 1.82% , - , , , 111,811, , 0.95 %, , 114,736, , 0.98 %, , 226,547, , 0.97 %, , 38,401, , 0.54 %, , 264,948, , 0.87 %, , 0.06 %, , 0.81% , - , , , 92,232, , 0.79%, , 93,161, , 0.80%, , 185,393, , 0.79%, , 32,234, , 0.45%, , 217,627, , 0.71%, , 0.39%, , 0.32% , - , , , 63,531, , 0.54 %, , 70,874, , 0.61 %, , 134,405, , 0.57 %, , 55,509, , 0.78 %, , 189,914, , 0.62 %, , –, , 0.62% , - , , , 75,937, , 0.65 %, , 74,144, , 0.63 %, , 150,081, , 0.64 %, , 35,186, , 0.49 %, , 185,267, , 0.61 %, , –, , 0.61% , - , , , 56,950, , 0.49 %, , 61,074, , 0.52 %, , 118,024, , 0.50 %, , 52,592, , 0.74 %, , 170,616, , 0.56 %, , 0.01 %, , 0.55% , - , , , 50,902, , 0.43 %, , 60,303, , 0.51 %, , 111,205, , 0.47 %, , 46,508, , 0.65 %, , 157,713, , 0.52 %, , 0.62%, , 0.10% , - , , , 42,426, , 0.36%, , 72,972, , 0.62%, , 115,398, , 0.49%, , 31,244, , 0.44%, , 146,642, , 0.48%, , 0.87%, , 0.39% , - , , , 23,585, , 0.20 %, , 29,573, , 0.25 %, , 53,158, , 0.23 %, , 28,798, , 0.40 %, , 81,956, , 0.27 %, , 0.23%, , 0.04% , - , , , 24,021, , 0.20 %, , 32,302, , 0.28 %, , 56,323, , 0.24 %, , 12,613, , 0.18 %, , 68,936, , 0.23 %, , 0.19%, , 0.04% , - , , , 22,970, , 0.20 %, , 22,627, , 0.19 %, , 45,597, , 0.19 %, , 22,905, , 0.32 %, , 68,502, , 0.22 %, , –, , 0.22% , - , , , 21,012, , 0.18 %, , 26,497, , 0.23 %, , 47,509, , 0.20 %, , 15,047, , 0.21 %, , 62,556, , 0.20 %, , 0.48%, , 0.28% , - , , , 29,393, , 0.25 %, , 25,914, , 0.22 %, , 55,307, , 0.24 %, , 5,882, , 0.08 %, , 61,189, , 0.20%, , 0.10%, , 0.10% , - , , , 23,416, , 0.20 %, , 21,270, , 0.18 %, , 44,686, , 0.19 %, , 14,294, , 0.20 %, , 58,980, , 0.19 %, , 0.22%, , 0.03% , - , , , 12,164, , 0.10 %, , 17,060 , , 0.15 %, , 29,224, , 0.12 %, , 17,556, , 0.25 %, , 46,780, , 0.15 %, , –, , 0.15% , - , , , 14,028, , 0.12 %, , 13,317, , 0.11 %, , 27,345, , 0.12 %, , 12,661, , 0.18 %, , 40,006, , 0.13 %, , –, , 0.13% , - , , , 13,976, , 0.12 %, , 13,542, , 0.12 %, , 27,518, , 0.12 %, , 4,176, , 0.06 %, , 31,694, , 0.10 %, , –, , 0.10% , - , , , 14,315, , 0.12 %, , 13,542, , 0.12 %, , 30,405, , 0.13 %, , 1,038, , 0.01 %, , 31,443, , 0.10 %, , –, , 0.10% , - , , , 10,600, , 0.09 %, , 10,673 , , 0.09 %, , 21,273, , 0.09 %, , 9,775, , 0.14 %, , 31,048, , 0.10 %, , 0.11%, , 0.01% , - , , , 9,095, , 0.08 %, , 9,842, , 0.08 %, , 18,937, , 0.08 %, , 9,677, , 0.14 %, , 28,614, , 0.09 %, , –, , 0.09% , - , , , 8,896, , 0.08 %, , 9,365, , 0.08 %, , 18,261, , 0.08 %, , 9,461, , 0.13 %, , 27,722, , 0.09 %, , , –, , 0.09% , - , , , 7,862, , 0.07 %, , 10,885, , 0.09 %, , 18,747, , 0.08 %, , 7,636, , 0.11 %, , 26,383, , 0.09 %, , 0.07%, , 0.02% , - , , , 12,777, , 0.11 %, , 9,999, , 0.09%, , 22,776, , 0.10 %, , 3,264, , 0.05%, , 26,040, , 0.09 %, , –, , 0.09% , - , , , 7,703, , 0.07 %, , 9,634, , 0.08 %, , 17,337, , 0.07 %, , 7,906, , 0.11 %, , 25,243, , 0.08 %, , –, , 0.08% , - , , , 6,631, , 0.06 %, , 6,486, , 0.06 %, , 13,117, , 0.06 %, , 6,446, , 0.09 %, , 19,563, , 0.06 %, , 0.02 %, , 0.04% , - , , , 6,720, , 0.06%, , 6,853, , 0.06%, , 13,573, , 0.06%, , 4,171, , 0.06%, , 17,744, , 0.06%, , 0.07%, , 0.01% , - , , , 6,571, , 0.06 %, , 6,545, , 0.06 %, , 13,116, , 0.06 %, , 5,891, , 0.08 %, , 19,007, , 0.06 %, , –, , 0.06% , - , , , 7,616, , 0.06 %, , 7,448, , 0.06 %, , 15,064, , 0.06 %, , 2,817, , 0.04 %, , 17,881, , 0.06 %, , –, , 0.06% , - , , , 5,597, , 0.06 %, , 5,542, , 0.06 %, , 11,139, , 0.05 %, , 5,605, , 0.08 %, , 16,744, , 0.05 %, , –, , 0.05% , - , , , 4,909, , 0.04 %, , 5,159, , 0.04 %, , 10,068, , 0.04 %, , 5,093, , 0.07 %, , 15,161, , 0.05 %, , –, , 0.05 % , - , , , 405,847, , 3.46 %, , colspan="2" style="text-align:center", N/A, , 405,847, , 1.73 %, , colspan="2" style="text-align:center", N/A, , 405,847, , 1.33 %, , 0.89%, , 0.44% , - style="background:#e9e9e9;" , colspan="2" style="text-align:left", Total , , 11,741,055, , 100 %, , 11,714,127, , 100 %, , 23,455,182, , 100 %, , 7,128,139, , 100 %, , 30,583,321, , 100 %, , 38,524,059, , 7,940,738 * PR = Proportional Representation * DC = District Council


Results by Municipal Type

The statistics in this section are all sourced from the Independent Electoral Commission'sbr>official website
unless specified otherwise. Prior control statistics from news sources.
Metropolitan Municipalities District Municipalities Local Municipalities


Results by Province


Eastern Cape

In the following table, green rows indicate those won by the ANC with a majority, blue rows indicate municipalities won by the DA with a majority, and light blue rows indicate a DA minority, light green cells indicate municipalities won by the ANC with Minorities or coalitions.


=Metropolitan Municipalities

= The ANC held onto overall control of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. In Nelson Mandela Bay ANC regained control through a coalition with minor parties.


=Two Tier Municipalities

= The ANC held onto overall control of 5 District Municipalities. ANC maintained control of Sarah Baartman District Municipality through minority administration. The ANC held onto overall control of 28 Local Municipalities and minority control over 1. The DA held onto overall control of 1 local municipality and coalition of a second one.


Free State

In the following table, green cells indicate those municipalities won by the ANC with majorities, light green cells indicate municipalities won by the ANC with minorities or coalitions. Light blue cells indicate those won by the DA with a minority or coalition. green cells indicate those municipalities won by the ANC with Majorities, light green cells indicate municipalities won by the ANC with Minorities or coalitions. blue cells indicate municipalities won by the DA with a majority, light blue cells indicate those won by the DA with a minority or coalition.


=Metropolitan Municipalities

= No parties were able to receive full control in any of the 3 metropolitan municipalities, the DA leads in all three. In two municipalities, Tshwane and Johannesburg, the DA governs with coalitions. In one municipality, Ekurhuleni, the DA governs with a minority.


=Two Tier Municipalities

= The ANC has a minority control over on District Municipality, the other municipality led by the DA. The DA was able to maintain overall control over 1 local municipality, and gain control through a minority in another one. The ANC was able to maintain control in 4 local municipalities through minorities.


KwaZulu-Natal

In the following table, green rows indicate those won by the ANC with a majority, light green rows indicate those won by the ANC with a minority or coalition, red rows indicate those won by the
Inkatha Freedom Party The Inkatha Freedom Party ( zu, IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko, IFP) is a right-wing political party in South Africa. The party has been led by Velenkosini Hlabisa since the party's 2019 National General Conference. Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded t ...
(IFP) with a majority, and pink rows indicate lead by an IFP minority or coalition. Blue cells indicate municipalities won by the DA with a majority. Yellow rows indicate those won by the
National Freedom Party The National Freedom Party (NFP) is a South African political party. It was launched on 25 January 2011 by Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi, former chairperson of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), along with other former IFP members. Election results ...
(NFP).


=Metropolitan Municipalities

= ANC maintained control of eThekwini through a coalition government.


=Two Tier Municipalities

= The ANC has control over 5 District Municipalities with majorities. The IFP has control over 1 District Municipality with a coalition and 4 District municipalities with minorities. The ANC was able to receive overall control in 13 Local Municipalities, has control over 1 municipality through a coalition and 4 municipalities through minorities. The IFP was able to receive overall control in 8 Local Municipalities, has control over 3 municipalities through coalition and 12 municipalities through minorities. The DA was able to receive overall control in 1 municipality.


Limpopo

In the following table, green cells indicate those municipalities won by the ANC with Majorities. Light blue cells indicate those won by the DA with a minority or coalition. Two Tier Municipalities The ANC was able to receive overall control in all 5 District Municipalities. The ANC was able to receive overall control in 20 Local Municipalities. In 2 Local Municipalities DA has minority control.


Mpumalanga

In the following table, green rows indicate those won by the ANC. Light green rows indicate those led by a Minority ANC government. Gray rows indicate those led by Minor Party with a coalition or minority. Two Tier Municipalities The ANC won overall control in all 3 District Municipalities. In 13 Local Municipalities ANC has total control, in 2 Local Municipalities ANC has minority control. In 2 Local Municipalities minor parties or Independents have control.


Northern Cape

In the following table, green rows indicate those won by the ANC majority, and light green cells indicate municipalities led by an ANC coalition or minority. Light blue rows indicate municipalities won led by a DA coalition or minority. Light red rows indicate municipalities won led by an EFF coalition or minority. Light grey rows indicate municipalities won led by a Minor Party coalition or minority. Two Tier Municipalities The ANC has overall control in 4 District Municipality and governs in 1 District Municipality with a coalition. The ANC won overall control of 16 Local Municipalities, in 2 Local Municipalities ANC governs with a coalition, in 2 Local Municipalities ANC governs with a minority. The EFF governs in one local municipality, which has been put into doubt. In 3 local municipalities are governed by minor parties.


North West

In the following table, green rows indicate those won by the ANC, and light green rows indicate those with an ANC minority or coalition. Light red cells indicate those won by EFF with a minority or coalition. The municipal boundaries are determined by the Organised Local Government Act, 1997 (Act 52 of 1997). Two Tier Municipalities The ANC won overall control in 3 District Municipalities, and the EFF governs one District Municipality with a minority. The ANC won overall control in 15 Local Municipalities. The ANC governs with a minority in 3 Local Municipalities and with a coalition in 1 Local Municipality.


Western Cape

In the following table, green cells indicate those municipalities won by the ANC with Majorities, light green cells indicate municipalities won by the ANC with Minorities or coalitions. blue cells indicate municipalities won by the DA with a majority, light blue cells indicate those won by the DA with a minority or coalition. light grey cells indicate those won by the Minor Party with a minority or coalition.


=Metropolitan Municipalities

= The DA maintained overall control of the City of Cape Town.


=Two Tier Municipalities

= The DA was able to maintain overall control of 3 District municipalities and governs another with a coalition. The ANC governs one District Municipality with a coalition. The DA was able to maintain overall control of 8 Local municipalities, the DA governs 7 Local Municipalities with coalitions and 2 Local Municipalities with minorities. The ANC governs 3 Local Municipalities with coalitions and 1 Local Municipalities with minorities. The ANC lost more power in the province than previously in 2016. One Local Municipality is governed by a minor party.


Aftermath


Post-election coalition governments

As of 7 November there were still 70 hung councils. Following meetings with other political parties on 6 November, the ANC announced that treasurer-general
Paul Mashatile Paul Shipokosa Mashatile (born 21 October 1961) is a South African politician who is currently the Deputy President of the governing African National Congress (ANC). Before his election to that position in December 2022, he was ANC Treasurer Ge ...
and deputy secretary-general
Jessie Duarte Yasmin "Jessie" Duarte (; 19 September 1953 – 17 July 2022) was a South African politician and acting secretary-general of the African National Congress. A longtime anti-apartheid activist, she served variously as a special assistant to Nels ...
would lead coalition negotiations with other political parties. During a public address in Soweto on 8 November, President Ramaphosa announced that the ANC would not enter coalitions unconditionally. On 7 November, the DA announced that it would not enter coalitions with the ANC or EFF, but may partner with ActionSA and Freedom Front Plus. The GOOD party announced that it will not enter coalitions, rather serving as "constructive opposition". As of 9 November, ActionSA were negotiating a possible coalition with the DA in
Tshwane The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (also known as the City of Tshwane) () is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pr ...
. It had also received written demands from the EFF, which they refused. On 13 November, Malema proposed that coalitions should be avoided in the major metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng. He suggested that the EFF should run Tshwane, leaving the ANC to govern Ekurhuleni and ActionSA to govern Johannesburg. On 15 November, the Patriotic Alliance announced a coalition agreement with the ANC. The PA will have their own mayors, deputy mayors and several mayoral committee members. On 16 November, EFF Leader Julius Malema announced that the party had terminated coalition discussions with the ANC. On 17 November, IFP leader
Velenkosini Hlabisa Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa (born 4 January 1965) is a South African politician and former teacher who has been President of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Leader of the Opposition in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature since 2019. He served as t ...
announced that it had entered into a coalition agreement with the ANC in the 21 hung councils in KwaZulu-Natal, despite previously saying a week earlier that the party would not form coalitions with the ANC.


Controversies

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
has called on the
Electoral Commission of South Africa The Electoral Commission of South Africa (often referred to as the Independent Electoral Commission or IEC) is South Africa's election management body, an independent organisation established under chapter nine of the Constitution. It conducts e ...
to investigate reports of manhandling and the arrest of Newzroom Afrika journalist Ziniko Mhlaba. Ziniko Mhlaba was arrested by police at a
Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...
polling station after he allegedly obstructed justice by distracting the presiding officer. DA federal council chairwoman
Helen Zille Otta Helene Maree (''née'' Zille ; born 9 March 1951), known as Helen Zille, is a South African politician. She has served as the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance since 20 October 2019. From 2009 until 2019, she w ...
was purportedly dragged out of a
Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
polling station by police after being asked to leave the premises. She has since opened a case of assault at the Bethelsdorp police station and an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigator has been assigned the case. In the Eastern Cape province it was reported that 22 polling stations couldn't open because protestors dug trenches and barricaded roads. At one polling station a voter management device (VMD) and a map were stolen. The IEC considered chartering a helicopter to lower in officials and material and commence voting. Around noon the polling stations opened after police and municipal officials dispersed the protesters.


Notes


References

{{South African elections South African
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...