EThekwini Municipality and the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) have concluded final consultations with traditional leaders on the ward delimitation process ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The engagement, held recently at the Pinetown Civic Centre, provided traditional leaders with updates on ward boundary changes and preparations for implementation after the elections.
MDB KwaZulu-Natal provincial coordinator Mthobisi Manzini said the ward demarcation process in eThekwini had taken longer than in other municipalities across the country.
However, he confirmed that the final ward determinations had been completed and formally handed over to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to begin electoral preparations.
Manzini said the number of wards in eThekwini Municipality will increase from 111 to 112, with the additional ward located in the northern region of the city.
“A portion of Ward 5, covering the Mophela area, has been incorporated into uMkhambathini Municipality, while part of Ward 4 in the Makwatas area has been incorporated into Ward 103 under eThekwini Municipality,” Manzini said.
The boundary changes are expected to take effect after the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Executive Director in the Office of the City Manager, Sipho Cele, said cooperation from residents would be essential to ensure the smooth implementation of the changes.
Cele said public consultations had been conducted across six regions to gather input and proposals from communities affected by the delimitation process.
He said further consultations with uMkhambathini Municipality will be held to facilitate the transfer of assets, personnel and budgets linked to the boundary adjustments.
“We understand that there is a cemetery that has been under eThekwini Municipality and will now be inherited by uMkhambathini Municipality. A proper handover process will be initiated to avoid hindrance of service delivery. The demarcation process is intended for better municipal management and improvement of service delivery,” Cele said.
Update details on the voters’ roll
IEC Regional Assistant Manager for the eThekwini District, Sibongiseni Nkomo, urged residents to update their details on the voters’ roll ahead of the voter registration weekend scheduled for 20 and 21 June.
Nkomo reminded residents to bring either their green barcoded identity documents or smart ID cards when registering.
“Residents will only vote in a ward where they are registered to vote. We will conduct targeted communication, and registration is underway in wards that were affected by the ward delimitation process,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
