ERMELO – With yesterday’s government elections concluded, vote counting is underway to determine who will serve on the Msukaligwa Municipal Council for the next five years.

According to provisional election results displayed on November 5, the ANC led in Msukaligwa with 38.48% of the votes reflected on the results dashboard, followed by the MK Party with 17.85% and the DA with 14.27%.

The EFF stood at 5.59%, followed by the Service Delivery Party (SDP) with 5.42%, Msukaligwa People First (MPF) with 4.94% and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) with 4.73%.

The results remained incomplete, with the final composition of the 38-seat municipal council yet to be determined.

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In the 2021 municipal elections, the ANC secured 24 of Msukaligwa’s 38 council seats, retaining an outright majority.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) secured seven seats, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with four, Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) with two and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) with one.

Of the 19 wards contested in 2021, the ANC won 18, while the DA secured Ward 7.

The latest election results will determine whether the ANC retains its majority or whether a different balance of power emerges in council.

How council seats are allocated

Msukaligwa has 38 council seats, comprising 19 ward councillors and 19 proportional representation (PR) councillors.

Each ward elects one councillor, with the candidate receiving the most votes securing the position.

A candidate does not need more than 50% of the votes to win.

However, winning a ward is not the only way for a candidate to secure a seat on council.

The remaining seats are allocated to political parties according to their overall electoral support across the municipality.

This means a party that fails to win a single ward could still secure representation on council.

Is voting for a smaller party a wasted vote?

The belief that voting for a smaller political party is a wasted vote does not necessarily hold true under South Africa’s municipal electoral system.

Although only one candidate can win a ward, parties can still secure seats on council through proportional representation, even without winning a single ward.

This means votes for smaller parties can contribute towards securing council representation and influence the overall balance of power.

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However, a seat is not guaranteed, as parties must obtain sufficient support under the electoral formula.

In a municipality such as Msukaligwa, where 20 of the 38 council seats are needed for an outright majority, representation by smaller parties could also become significant if no single party secures enough seats to govern alone.

Can losing candidates still become councillors?

Two candidates who contested the same ward could both become councillors.

While only one would be elected as the ward councillor, an unsuccessful candidate could still enter council through their party’s PR candidate list, provided the party qualifies for a seat and the candidate is eligible for allocation.

Winning a ward also does not automatically entitle a political party to an additional PR councillor for that ward.

The PR system is designed to ensure that the overall composition of council broadly reflects the support received by political parties across the municipality.

For example, if a party qualifies for 10 seats overall and has already won six wards, it would receive four additional PR seats.

There is no fixed number of votes guaranteeing a party a council seat.

The allocation depends on the total valid votes and the electoral formula used by the Electoral Commission.

With 38 seats available, a party needs at least 20 to hold an outright majority in Msukaligwa.

Should no party secure that number, negotiations between parties could determine who governs the municipality.

What happens once the results are final?

Once the Electoral Commission has declared the election results and council seats have been allocated, the newly elected councillors must meet to establish the municipal council.

The first meeting must take place within 14 days of the election results being declared.

Councillors elect the speaker and executive mayor, meaning residents do not vote directly for the municipality’s mayor.

If no party holds an outright majority, parties may negotiate coalition agreements or other arrangements to secure support for council decisions.

What residents can expect from councillors

Beyond the election results, residents also have a right to expect accountability from those elected.

Ward councillors serve as a link between residents and the municipality, raising community concerns and following up on service delivery complaints.

PR councillors also participate in municipal decision-making, oversight and council proceedings, although they are not directly elected to represent a particular ward.

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Councillors are not responsible for personally repairing potholes, fixing water leaks or restoring electricity.

Those duties rest with the relevant municipal departments.

They are, however, expected to represent community interests, raise concerns through municipal structures and exercise oversight over the municipality’s performance.

For residents, the importance of their vote therefore extends beyond which party wins their ward.

It also helps determine the balance of power in council and who will be responsible for holding the municipality accountable over the next five years.