The Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality council consists of sixty-nine members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-five councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-five wards, while the remaining thirty-four 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 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of forty-seven seats on the council.
In the 2021 election the ANC lost its majority, although it still won the most seats, and was unseated by a coalition led by the MAP16 Civic Movement.
The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | AIC | ANC | DA | DP | EFF | IFP | PAC | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 election | - | 51 | 3 | 10 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 election | - | 55 | 2 | 7 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2011 election | - | 52 | 4 | 10 | - | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016 election | 1 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 | - | 3 |
| 2021 election | 1 | 28 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 0 | - | 26 |
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 2021 election saw the African National Congress (ANC) lose its majority for the first time. Although it still finished with the most seats, a rival grouping led by the MAP16 Civic Movement, founded by a group of ANC councillors who had been expelled for voting to unseat the ANC mayor, who was facing corruption charges, formed a coalition to take control. Maluti-a-Phofung became the first local municipality in the Free State not to be governed by the ANC.[5]
The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[6]