Newcastle Local Municipality elections explained

The Newcastle Local Municipality council consists of sixty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-four councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-four wards, while the remaining thirty-three 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) lost its majority, winning a plurality of 22 seats. As of July 2024, the party has since lost five seats in by-elections, dropping to 17 seats, with the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) earning a plurality of 23 seats.

Results

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

Event ACDPANCDAEFFFF+IFPNFPOtherTotal
2000 election1 20 11 - - 27 - 2 61
2006 election1 27 6 - 1 20 - 6 61
2011 election0 33 5 - 0 12 5 6 61
2016 election0 41 6 5 1 11 - 3 67
2021 election- 22 5 8 1 18 1 12 67

December 2000 election

See main article: 2000 South African municipal elections.

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

March 2006 election

See main article: 2006 South African municipal elections.

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

May 2011 election

See main article: 2011 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2011 election.[3]

August 2016 election

See main article: 2016 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.[4]

August 2016 to November 2021 by-elections

In a by-election held on 5 April 2017, a ward previously held by the ANC was won by an independent candidate.[5] Council composition was reconfigured as seen below:

PartyWard PR list Total
31 9 40
0 11 11
2 4 6
0 5 5
0 1 1
0 1 1
1 1
0 1 1
0 1 1
Total34 33 67

November 2021 election

See main article: 2021 South African municipal elections.

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[6]

The IFP took control of the municipality by entering into agreement with the DA, Team Sugar and other parties.[7] [8]

By-elections from November 2021

The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period since the election in November 2021.[9]

Date Ward Party of the previous councillor Party of the newly elected councillor
15 February 2023[10] 31
14 February 2024[11] 11
13 March 2024[12] 12
13 March 2024 19
13 March 2024 23
19 June 2024[13] 5
17 July 2024[14] 28

After the three March by-elections, and the February by-election, the IFP had won four seats from the ANC, leaving them as the largest party, while in June 2024 the DA won a seat off the ANC. The following shows the composition of the council after the July 2024 by-election:

Party Ward List Total
11 12 23
16 1 17
0 8 8
1 5 6
5 1 6
1 2 3
0 1 1
0 1 1
0 1 1
0 1 1
Total 34 33 67

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Election Result Table for LGE2000 — Newcastle . 2021-11-28 . wikitable.frith.dev.
  2. Web site: Election Result Table for LGE2006 — Newcastle . 2021-11-28 . wikitable.frith.dev.
  3. Web site: Election Result Table for LGE2011 — Newcastle . 2021-11-28 . wikitable.frith.dev.
  4. Web site: Election Result Table for LGE2016 — Newcastle . 2021-11-28 . wikitable.frith.dev.
  5. News: Results of the Municipal By-Elections held on 05 April 2017 . Electoral Commission of South Africa . 6 April 2017. furthermore an independent candidate won a seat previously held by the African National Congress.
  6. Web site: Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Newcastle . 2021-11-28 . wikitable.frith.dev.
  7. Web site: ANC-IFP co-operation in KZN on the brink . 2021-12-02 . TimesLIVE . en-ZA.
  8. Web site: ANC is desperate says analyst after ruling party suffered heavy losses in key municipalities in KZN . 2021-12-02 . www.iol.co.za . en.
  9. Web site: Municipal By-elections results . Electoral Commission of South Africa . 18 February 2023.
  10. Web site: Sussman . Wayne . 2023-02-16 . FEBRUARY BY-ELECTIONS: Team Sugar deals bittersweet blow to ANC as small local parties offer blueprint for staying relevant . 2023-02-17 . Daily Maverick . en.
  11. Web site: Sussman . Wayne . 2024-02-15 . MK party snatches votes from ANC in second Zululand scare . 2024-02-15 . Daily Maverick . en.
  12. Web site: Sussman . Wayne . 2024-03-14 . IFP trounces ANC again in KZN, sweeping three wards . 2024-03-14 . Daily Maverick . en.
  13. Web site: Sussman . Wayne . 2024-06-20 . IFP builds on strong KZN poll showing with more solid wins . 2024-06-20 . Daily Maverick . en.
  14. Web site: Sussman . Wayne . 2024-07-18 . IFP deals bitter setback for Team Sugar, MK in KZN wards . 2024-07-18 . Daily Maverick . en.