Cape Town voters will elect 231 councillors on Wednesday 4 November, with 55 parties and 12 independents contesting the ballot the fifth most among the eight metros. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has held an outright majority since 2021. But corruption investigations and a regressed audit have put its governance under scrutiny.
Who can vote
The IEC has certified 3 456 345 registered voters across the Western Cape. However, it has not published a Cape Town-specific figure. In 2021, the city had 1 973 708 registered voters, with 47,16% turnout. The council has 231 seats 116 ward and 115 PR. Each voter gets two ballots: one for a ward candidate and one for a party.
How the city voted last time
In 2021, the DA won 58,26% of the vote (1 062 086 votes) and 134 seats. The African National Congress (ANC) took 338 818 votes (18,59%) and 43 seats. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) won 75 168 votes (4,12%) and 10 seats. GOOD won 69 502 votes (3,81%) and nine seats. The Cape Coloured Congress now the National Coloured Congress (NCC) won 51 111 votes (2,80%) and seven seats.
The current mayor
Geordin Hill-Lewis has been executive mayor since 18 November 2021. He also became DA Federal Leader on Sunday 12 April, while continuing as mayor. The DA announced him as its mayoral candidate for a second term on 13 June.
Who is running for mayor
The DA, EFF, GOOD and NCC have confirmed candidates. The ANC has not.
DA: Hill-Lewis’s five commitments are stronger policing through a Metro Police Detective Unit, 500 000 new jobs, replacing 100 km of freshwater pipes and 100 km of sewer pipes each year, expanding affordable housing and cleaning public spaces. He has also pledged 700 MW of independent power.
EFF: The party announced Nontando Nolutshungu, its national chairperson, as its Cape Town candidate on 30 July. She grew up in Langa and previously worked for the City. The party’s manifesto commits to expanding services to poor communities, ending reliance on municipal tenders and economic inclusion.
GOOD: Brett Herron, GOOD’s secretary-general, is the joint candidate of GOOD and Rise Mzansi. His manifesto, which he launched on Friday 19 September, promises free off-peak public transport, one service standard across all wards and a halt to City-initiated evictions from council rental stock.
“Our flagship Day One action is a moratorium on the sale of all public land and long leases over 10 years, city-wide, effective immediately,” Herron said. “Not a permanent freeze, a pause, with a published end-condition.”
NCC: Ellen Pakkies, a Lavender Hill activist, is the NCC’s candidate. Her campaign focuses on closing drug dens, expanding rehabilitation centres, creating youth jobs and addressing violence against women and girls.
ANC: Meanwhile, the ANC has not confirmed a candidate. The party’s selection rules, which the National Executive Committee approved, give the ANC’s national officials exclusive power to appoint executive mayors of metros. The ANC opened the process with public nominations in May. This was followed by vetting, structured interviews and assessment. The shortlist includes eight contenders: caucus leader Ndithini Tyhido, Fiona Abrahams, Mareldia Chowglay, Luvuyo Zondani, Zelda Trantraal, Ernest Theron, Lwazi Phakade and provincial convenor Jeremiah Thuynsma.
At its manifesto launch on Saturday 23 August, the ANC said final candidates would follow. “The final mayoral candidates will be announced in September following a thorough internal process grounded in credibility, community confidence, competence and fitness for purpose,” the ANC said in a statement on 25 August.
Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula told party structures on Friday 26 September that the national leadership would choose mayors only after the election results. September has passed. The ANC has not announced a Cape Town candidate. The party’s manifesto commits to quality services, job creation, safe communities and capable government.
What has gone wrong since 2021
The DA held its majority throughout the term. No mayor or municipal manager lost their position. But corruption investigations and disciplinary action marked the period.
Booi suspension and court case
On Thursday 16 March 2023, Hill-Lewis suspended mayoral committee member Malusi Booi from the human settlements portfolio after a police search-and-seizure at City offices.
“The SAPS informed me this morning that the investigation is at an early stage, but is potentially serious and relates to alleged fraud and corruption,” Hill-Lewis said. “As a result, I have suspended Councillor Booi from his position on the Mayoral Committee.”
Afterwards, he removed Booi from the mayoral committee the following Thursday, 23 March 2023. In January 2025, Booi appeared in court with seven others on charges including corruption, racketeering and money laundering, linked to housing tenders worth more than R1 billion.
Housing and waste management dismissals
In addition, Sipokazi September, director of public housing, lost her job in January 2024 after disciplinary findings connected her to the same investigation. Luzuko Mdunyelwa, executive director of urban waste management, lost his position in August 2024. He faced misconduct charges after an unauthorised waste-management project and the collapse of township refuse collection.
Smith and Limberg raid
On Friday 24 January 2025, police conducted a search-and-seizure at the offices of mayoral committee members JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg. The Western Cape High Court later declared the search warrants unlawful and ordered the return of seized devices.
“The High Court’s order brings closure and clarity following a raid in January, which has now been declared unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid,” Hill-Lewis said. “No evidence was produced to warrant me taking action against Mayco Members JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg.”
Meanwhile, police have filed no criminal charges against either person.
Sting operation
Furthermore, City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo remained in office. On Tuesday 3 March, he participated in a police sting operation that led to the arrest of a contractor. The contractor allegedly handed him R1,4 million in cash. The City said the contractor had allegedly offered R4 million to halt an investigation.
Auditor-General findings
Cape Town was the only metro to receive clean audits for three consecutive years, from 2021/22 to 2023/24. But the 2024/25 audit regressed to an unqualified opinion with findings. The Auditor-General found the City’s Bid Evaluation Committee did not apply sufficiently rigorous review to tender documents.
Irregular expenditure was R232,64 million in 2021/22. It then fell to R51,63 million in 2022/23. After that, it rose sharply to R626,12 million in 2023/24.
Council tensions
Two motions of no confidence targeted Speaker Felicity Purchase in 2025. The first lapsed in March when the mover, ANC caucus leader Banele Majingo, defected to the DA. Council debated and rejected the second on Thursday 21 August last year. 125 councillors voted against, 37 in favour and two abstentions.
“The allegations contained in the motion were baseless, politically motivated, and served only to distract Council from its core mandate of governance and service delivery,” Purchase said.
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