WHILE the public consultation meeting on ward boundaries ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections held at the Amanzimtoti Civic Centre on February 19 was well attended, the absence of Ward 97 residents was conspicuous.

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Of the around 400 attendees from different wards in the meeting, which was jointly hosted by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB), the Electoral Commission (IEC), and eThekwini Municipality, only one was from Amanzimtoti.

The ward delimitation process has resulted in the reconfiguration of ward borders, with voting district changes on the southern wards, including Wards 96, 97, 98, and 109. These wards have either gained or lost voting districts, reconfiguring the ward boundaries.

If there is a need, the MDB reconfigures wards every five years ahead of the Local Government Elections to ensure fair, equitable representation, as mandated by the Constitution.

Addressing the residents, Sipho Cele, the executive director in the office of the City manager, said this process accommodates population shifts, new housing developments, and migration, balancing voter numbers so each councillor represents roughly the same number of residents.

“The current demarcation process began in 2023 and has resulted in the creation of a new ward in the north, bringing the total number of wards in eThekwini Municipality to 112,” said Cele.

Ward 97, which has 17 848 registered voters, gained a new voting district, Illovo High School, which was previously in Lovu township’s Ward 109.

The Illovo Primary School voting district has been moved from Ward 109 to Ward 98. Ward 98 includes areas of Umgababa and Nkwali.

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