ERMELO – Msukaligwa’s incoming municipal council is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting on November 19, following an election that left no party with an outright majority. Residents are invited to attend or follow proceedings live.

The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 at the Civic Centre in Ermelo, according to an official notice issued by municipal manager Maqhawe Kunene.

The announcement follows the November 4 local government elections, in which the ANC lost its outright majority on the 38-seat municipal council.

As previously reported by Highvelder, the ANC secured 14 seats, down from the 24 it held following the 2021 elections.

The MK Party emerged as the second-largest party with eight seats, followed by the DA with six.

The EFF, Msukaligwa People First, SACP and FF Plus each secured two seats, while the Service Delivery Party and Patriotic Alliance obtained one seat each.

With 20 seats required for an outright majority, no single party has enough councillors to control decisions requiring majority support.

The composition of the new council means that cooperation between political parties will be necessary to secure majority support for such decisions.

The inaugural sitting will also mark an important step in establishing the municipality’s new political leadership.

As outlined in Highvelder’s previous election coverage, the first council meeting includes the election of the speaker and executive mayor.

The meeting has been convened in terms of Section 29 (2) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, read together with Section 20 of the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000, as amended.

Members of the public and interested parties are invited to attend and observe the proceedings.

Those attending are requested to be seated at least 15 minutes before the scheduled starting time.

The municipality has also confirmed that the meeting will be broadcast live on its official social media platforms.