Buffalo City elections explained

The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality council consists of one hundred members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifty wards, while the remaining fifty 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 seats on the council.

Results

The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.

Event	ACDP	AIC	ANC	COPE	DA	EFF	PAC	UDM	Other	Total
2000 election	1	-	73	-	12	-	2	1	0	89
2006 election	1	-	73	-	11	-	3	1	0	89
2011 election	1	2	71	3	21	-	2	0	0	100
2016 election	1	4	60	1	24	8	1	1	0	100
2021 election	1	1	61	0	20	13	1	1	2	100

December 2000 election

See main article: 2000 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2000 election.^[1]

Buffalo City local election, 5 December 2000
Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	154,360	157,746	312,106	80.4%	41	32	73
	24,440	25,723	50,163	12.9%	4	8	12
	4,089	4,942	9,031	2.3%	0	2	2
	7,330	–	7,330	1.9%	0	–	0
	3,379	2,205	5,584	1.4%	0	1	1
	426	2,931	3,357	0.9%	0	1	1
	258	561	819	0.2%	0	0	0
Total		194,282	194,108	388,390		45	44	89
Valid votes		194,282	194,108	388,390	98.0%
Spoilt votes		3,658	4,073	7,731	2.0%
Total votes cast		197,940	198,181	396,121
Voter turnout		199,243
Registered voters		341,665
Turnout percentage		58.3%

March 2006 election

See main article: 2006 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2006 election.^[2]

Buffalo City local election, 1 March 2006
Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	149,889	150,121	300,010	81.3%	41	32	73
	23,124	22,024	45,148	12.2%	4	7	11
	6,190	5,496	11,686	3.2%	0	3	3
	2,309	2,019	4,328	1.2%	0	1	1
	287	2,553	2,840	0.8%	0	1	1
	582	1,216	1,798	0.5%	0	0	0
	1,664	–	1,664	0.5%	0	–	0
	415	551	966	0.3%	0	0	0
	61	359	420	0.1%	0	0	0
	29	234	263	0.1%	0	0	0
Total		184,550	184,573	369,123		45	44	89
Valid votes		184,550	184,573	369,123	98.4%
Spoilt votes		3,223	2,761	5,984	1.6%
Total votes cast		187,773	187,334	375,107
Voter turnout		189,083
Registered voters		358,460
Turnout percentage		52.7%

May 2011 election

See main article: 2011 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2011 election.^{[3] [4]}

Buffalo City local election, 18 May 2011
Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	150,914	146,919	297,833	70.0%	43	28	71
	44,083	43,062	87,145	20.5%	7	14	21
	4,296	7,867	12,163	2.9%	0	3	3
	4,493	3,536	8,029	1.9%	0	2	2
	355	7,616	7,971	1.9%	0	2	2
	5,668	–	5,668	1.3%	0	–	0
	1,687	1,485	3,172	0.7%	0	1	1
	1,130	1,563	2,693	0.6%	0	0	0
	279	492	771	0.2%	0	0	0
Total		212,905	212,540	425,445		50	50	100
Valid votes		212,905	212,540	425,445	98.3%
Spoilt votes		3,408	4,016	7,424	1.7%
Total votes cast		216,313	216,556	432,869
Voter turnout		218,108
Registered voters		384,910
Turnout percentage		56.7%

August 2016 election

See main article: 2016 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.^{[5] [6]}

Buffalo City local election, 3 August 2016
Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	131,698	136,354	268,052	58.7%	45	15	60
	53,374	53,416	106,790	23.4%	5	19	24
	17,697	18,693	36,390	8.0%	0	8	8
	6,731	8,869	15,600	3.4%	0	4	4
	12,255	–	12,255	2.7%	0	–	0
	1,877	2,228	4,105	0.9%	0	1	1
	1,021	2,944	3,965	0.9%	0	1	1
	1,655	2,258	3,913	0.9%	0	1	1
	1,275	1,244	2,519	0.6%	0	1	1
	623	730	1,353	0.3%	0	0	0
	88	446	534	0.1%	0	0	0
	204	224	428	0.1%	0	0	0
	40	366	406	0.1%	0	0	0
Total		228,538	227,772	456,310		50	50	100
Valid votes		228,538	227,772	456,310	97.7%
Spoilt votes		4,934	5,843	10,777	2.3%
Total votes cast		233,472	233,615	467,087
Voter turnout		235,369
Registered voters		419,044
Turnout percentage		56.2%

November 2021 election

See main article: 2021 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.^{[7] [8]}

Buffalo City local election, 1 November 2021
Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	105,038	109,080	214,118	59.4%	43	18	61
	35,195	35,139	70,334	19.5%	7	13	20
	21,165	22,301	43,466	12.1%	0	13	13
	8,383	–	8,383	2.3%	0	–	0
	1,476	1,990	3,466	1.0%	0	1	1
	1,499	1,884	3,383	0.9%	0	1	1
	1,667	1,603	3,270	0.9%	0	1	1
	806	1,756	2,562	0.7%	0	1	1
	991	1,020	2,011	0.6%	0	1	1
	914	934	1,848	0.5%	0	1	1
	351	764	1,115	0.3%	0	0	0
	187	608	795	0.2%	0	0	0
	273	477	750	0.2%	0	0	0
	334	414	748	0.2%	0	0	0
	356	331	687	0.2%	0	0	0
	86	487	573	0.2%	0	0	0
	318	208	526	0.1%	0	0	0
	264	229	493	0.1%	0	0	0
	247	182	429	0.1%	0	0	0
	94	285	379	0.1%	0	0	0
	141	80	221	0.1%	0	0	0
	114	100	214	0.1%	0	0	0
	85	80	165	0.0%	0	0	0
	–	108	108	0.0%	–	0	0
	8	89	97	0.0%	0	0	0
	17	73	90	0.0%	0	0	0
	8	43	51	0.0%	0	0	0
	12	–	12	0.0%	0	–	0
Total		180,029	180,265	360,294		50	50	100
Valid votes		180,029	180,265	360,294	98.2%
Spoilt votes		2,937	3,571	6,508	1.8%
Total votes cast		182,966	183,836	366,802
Voter turnout		185,525
Registered voters		406,486
Turnout percentage		45.6%

Notes and References

1. Web site: Seat Calculation Detail: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.
2. Web site: Seat Calculation Detail: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.
3. Web site: Results Summary – All Ballots: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.
4. Web site: Seat Calculation Detail: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.
5. Web site: Results Summary – All Ballots: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.
6. Web site: Seat Calculation Detail: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.
7. Web site: Results Summary – All Ballots: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.
8. Web site: Seat Calculation Detail: Buffalo City . Independent Electoral Commission . 11 November 2021.