The Setsoto Local Municipality council consists of thirty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Seventeen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in seventeen wards, while the remaining sixteen are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the 2021 South African municipal elections the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of seventeen seats on the council.
The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.
| Event | ANC | DA | EFF | FF+ | PAC | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 election | 24 | 5 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 31 |
| 2006 election | 27 | 4 | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 |
| 2011 election | 26 | 6 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 35 |
| 2016 election | 21 | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | 3 | 33 |
| 2021 election | 17 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | 9 | 33 |
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 1911 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.
After the three August 2024 by-elections, the new composition of council was as follows:
| Party | Ward | List | Total | |
| 14 | 3 | 17 | ||
| 2 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 17 | 16 | 33 |