The King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality council consists of seventy-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-seven wards, while the remaining thirty-six 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 forty-eight seats.
The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ANC | DA | EFF | PAC | UDM | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 election | 28 | 0 | — | 2 | 33 | 1 | 64 |
| 2006 election | 47 | 0 | — | 1 | 16 | 0 | 64 |
| 2011 election | 46 | 2 | — | — | 18 | 4 | 70 |
| 2016 election | 46 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 72 |
| 2021 election | 48 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 73 |
See main article: 2000 South African municipal elections.
The following table shows the results of the 2000 election.[1]
See main article: 2006 South African municipal elections.
The following table shows the results of the 2006 election.[2]
See main article: 2011 South African municipal elections.
The following table shows the results of the 2011 election.[3]
See main article: 2016 South African municipal elections.
The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.[4]
See main article: 2021 South African municipal elections.
The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[5]
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period from November 2021.[6] In ward seven, a by-election was held in October 2022 after the death of the previous councillor, with the African National Congress retaining its seat. The Economic Freedom Fighters, with 19%, took second spot from the United Democratic Movement, which dropped from 18% to 3%. Turnout was an exceptionally low 17%, with only 3% of registered voters in the Mthatha City district voting.[7]