End-of-term report · KwaZulu-Natal

Umdoni · the 2021 to 2026 term

Elected 1 November 2021, in office until the council's first sitting. 35 of 37 councillors served the whole term.

37seats at the start 2ward seats changed hands 0of those changed party ANC 17largest at the start ANC 17largest at the end MK 15largest, elected 2026

How the council changed during the term

Seats as elected in 2021 against seats on the eve of the 2026 election. Differences come from by-elections and mid-term replacements recorded by the IEC; PR replacements that parties made without a by-election are not captured.

37 seats · as elected, Nov 2021 · 37 · at the end of the term.

PartySeats · as elected, then at the end of the termChange

ANC

17 → 17

7 → 7

EFF

5 → 5

IFP

5 → 5

ABC

1 → 1

ALJAMA

1 → 1

AM4C

1 → 1

as elected, Nov 2021at the end of the term

Ward seats that changed hands

When	Ward	Left	Why	Came in
30 Nov 2022	Ward 10	Edwin Victor Baptie DA	by-election	Alan Theodore Cutten DA
11 Sept 2024	Ward 15	Shara Singh DA	by-election	Dana Janet Daniels DA

The council's record over the term

Umdoni meets none of 6 yardsticks

Judged against National Treasury's and the Auditor-General's own norms, latest figures, 2023/24. Not a rating: 6 separate answers. How we judge.

Clean books?

Well short

Qualified

An unqualified audit with no findings

The Auditor-General could not vouch for parts of Umdoni's books.

Umdoni holds under a month of running costs in cash. Treasury asks for three.

2024/25 · was 8.3 months↘ slipping

Collects what it bills?

Well short

norm 95%

For every R100 Umdoni bills, it collects R1. Treasury expects R95.

2024/25 · was 85%↘ slipping

Looks after what it owns?

Short of it

7.7%

norm 8.0%

Umdoni spends 7.7% of what its roads, pipes and buildings are worth on repairs. Treasury's norm is 8%.

2024/25 · was 7.8%→ steady

Spends the building budget?

Short of it

-11%

norm 0%

Umdoni left 11% of its building budget unspent: projects planned but not delivered.

2023/24 · was -28%↗ improving

5.6% of Umdoni's spending was unauthorised, irregular, fruitless or wasteful. Treasury's target is none.

2023/24 · was 12.8%↗ improving

Audit outcome · Auditor-General, by financial year

2021/22Emphasis of Matter 2022/23Emphasis of Matter 2023/24Qualified

Cash coverage

0.0 mo2024/25

province median 4.4 mo · Treasury: bad

Debtor collection

1.0%2024/25

province median 100.6% · Treasury: bad

Repairs and maintenance

7.7%2024/25

province median 3.3% · Treasury: bad

Capital budget spent

-11.4%2023/24

province median -20.7% · Treasury: average

Wasteful expenditure

5.6%2023/24

province median 3.6% · Treasury: bad

Current ratio

3.182024/25

province median 1.52 · Treasury: good

The council's record, not any councillor's. Source: National Treasury Municipal Money and Auditor-General reports, fetched 11 Nov 2026. Financial years end in June.

Office-bearers at the end of the term

Mayor

Mbali Cele-Luthuli

Deputy Mayor

Phila Thabethe

Municipal Manager

Dhanphalan Devaraj Naidoo

Chief Financial Officer

Thando Mketsu

Per National Treasury's register as fetched 11 Nov 2026.

What comes next

The council elected on 4 November 2026: MK is the largest party with 15 of 37 seats. See the council page for the elected councillors, seat by seat.