9 KZN councils elect mayors first. Here's when yours sits
uMngeni swore in Chris Pappas on 13 November and Richmond sits on 18 November. Nine KZN councils with one-party majorities are due to elect mayors by 20 November. The list, seats and dates.
Nine KwaZulu-Natal municipalities where one party won outright are first in line to elect their mayors. uMngeni (Howick) went first on Friday 13 November, and the rest are due to sit by 20 November (The Witness).
KZN Cooperative Governance MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi issued the directive for this first round under section 29(2) of the Municipal Structures Act, after the IEC gazetted the election results (The Witness).
Which councils are sitting first?
| Council | Majority party | Seats held | First sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| uMngeni | DA | 15 of 25 | Friday 13 November |
| Richmond | MK | 10 of 17 | Wednesday 18 November |
| iMpendle | MK | 6 of 11 | Date not confirmed |
| Ulundi | IFP | 36 of 49 | Date not confirmed |
| Nongoma | IFP | 23 of 45 | Date not confirmed |
| uMsinga | IFP | 25 of 41 | Date not confirmed |
| Nkandla | IFP | 14 of 27 | Date not confirmed |
| Mthonjaneni | IFP | 15 of 25 | Date not confirmed |
| Greater Kokstad | ANC | 11 of 21 | Date not confirmed |
Sources: sittings from The Witness; seats from IEC data via The Outlier (uMngeni, Richmond, iMpendle, Ulundi, Nongoma, uMsinga, Nkandla, Mthonjaneni, Greater Kokstad)
The IFP has a majority in five of the nine. MK, in its first municipal election, has two. The DA and ANC have one each.
What happens at a first sitting?
Councillors are sworn in, then elect the municipality's office-bearers and nominate who will represent the council on the district council (The Witness). Isolezwe reported that this lets councils with an outright winner choose their mayor, deputy mayor, speaker, whip and executive (Isolezwe).
Where one party holds most of the seats, those votes are a formality. That is why these councils can move first while hung councils are still negotiating.
What happened in uMngeni?
The DA's Chris Pappas was due to be sworn in for a second term as mayor at Howick West Community Hall at 15:00 on Friday, with all 25 councillors taking their oath (IOL, The Witness). It is the first KZN council to be inaugurated after the election (Mail & Guardian).
uMngeni is the only KZN municipality the DA won outright. In 2021 it took the council by 42 votes. This time it won about 61% of the vote (EWN). The new council is DA 15, MK 5, ANC 4 and IFP 1, which makes MK the official opposition (Mail & Guardian).
Asked whether he would work with MK, Pappas told The Witness: "I treat all councillors with respect, and that includes the MK Party" (The Witness).
When do the hung KZN councils sit?
Later. KZN's hung councils have had their first meetings pushed out while parties negotiate. Reported has the dates for those councils here.
The IEC's gazetting of elected councillors on 13 November started a 14-day deadline for councils to hold their first meetings (EWN).
FAQ
Which KZN councils hold their first sittings first after the 2026 election?
uMngeni, Richmond, iMpendle, Ulundi, Nongoma, uMsinga, Nkandla, Mthonjaneni and Greater Kokstad, all won outright by one party, between 13 and 20 November 2026.
When is Richmond's first council meeting?
18 November 2026, according to The Witness.
Who is uMngeni's mayor?
The DA's Chris Pappas, who was due to be sworn in for a second term on 13 November 2026.
What happens at a first council sitting?
Councillors are sworn in, elect office-bearers such as the mayor and speaker, and nominate representatives to the district council.