The Matatiele Local Municipality council consists of fifty-four members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-seven wards, while the remaining twenty-seven 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 seats.
In 2006 and 2011, the largest opposition party was the locally founded African Independent Congress, protesting against the inclusion of Matatiele in the Eastern Cape rather than KwaZulu-Natal.[1]
The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | AIC | ANC | DA | EFF | UDM | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 election | 10 | 36 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 48 |
| 2011 election | 7 | 39 | 3 | - | 1 | 2 | 52 |
| 2016 election | 4 | 38 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 51 |
| 2021 election | 2 | 40 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 54 |
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]