Ward 2
Graaff-Reinet and Nieu-Bethesda, at Horseshoe and Nieu-Bethesda
Ricardo Llewellyn Smith (DA), declared by the IEC on 9 November 2021
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← Graaff-ReinetWards and elections
Wards and elections in Graaff-Reinet
Graaff-Reinet is listed in Wards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Ward 2 also includes Nieu-Bethesda. The figures below are Electoral Commission results for the whole municipality, not a count of ballots cast only in Graaff-Reinet.
Wards in use
Dr Beyers Naudé has 12 wards, promulgated in Government Gazette No. 45216 on 23 September 2021 and used from the local election of 1 November 2021. Until that election the municipality had 14 wards. The 2022/23 annual report lists these places. It also says community development workers were not placed on the new ward boundaries, so this is the municipality’s published ward table and not a surveyed map.
Ward 3
Graaff-Reinet, Asherville. The 2022/23 annual report describes a multi-purpose centre for this ward as serving Asherville, Geluksdal and informal settlements
Annella Mnuni (ANC), declared by the IEC on 9 November 2021
Ward 4
Graaff-Reinet, part of Umasizakhe and Cypress Groove
Joy Juanita Williams (DA), declared by the IEC on 9 November 2021
Ward 5
Graaff-Reinet, Kroonvale
Xolile Nzimkulu Galada (ANC), declared by the IEC on 9 November 2021
Ward 6
Graaff-Reinet, part of Umasizakhe
Andile Stephen Nofemele (ANC), declared by the IEC on 9 November 2021
Recent ward changes
30 June 2025
Municipal Demarcation Board consultation
On 24 June 2025 the municipality gave notice of a public consultation on municipal boundaries and demarcation. It was held at 17:00 on 30 June 2025 at Alex Laing Hall, Kroonvale.
10 December 2025
Final wards handed to the IEC
The Municipal Demarcation Board handed the revised wards for the 2026 local elections to the Electoral Commission. The Eastern Cape count in that handover is 703 wards, compared with 710 in 2021 and 705 in 2016. The minister said municipal outer boundaries would not be redetermined ahead of the 2026 elections. A new place-by-place ward list for Dr Beyers Naudé has not been published with these town names, so the 2021 table above is still the local list.
18 March 2026
Ward 7 by-election
The IEC reported that the Patriotic Alliance won Ward 7, previously held by the ANC. Nathan Angus Vavian Jacobs was declared with 40.19% of the votes cast. Turnout was 60.78%. In 2021 the ANC’s share in that ward was 46.33%. Ward 7 covers Aberdeen and Adendorp.
4 November 2026
Next local government election
Called in Government Gazette No. 55162 on 7 August 2026. Special votes are on 2 and 3 November 2026. These election dates are also listed under Events.
Election history through the 2024 national election
Graaff-Reinet was in Camdeboo Local Municipality until the August 2016 election, and in Dr Beyers Naudé after the merger of Camdeboo, Ikwezi and Baviaans. This history stops at the national and provincial election on 29 May 2024. Later changes are shown separately.
2 June 1999: National and provincial election
IEC election day for the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
The Electoral Commission recorded this as the national and provincial election of 2 June 1999. A town-level result for these Karoo places is not published in the municipal result tables used here.
5 December 2000: Camdeboo local election
First election of the Camdeboo council. The ANC won 6 of 11 seats.
Camdeboo replaced the transitional local councils of Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen and Nieu-Bethesda. The council had 11 members.
Registered voters: 17 641. Turnout: 57.64% on the ward ballot and 57.66% on the list ballot.
9,911 valid ward votes and 9,895 valid list votes. Spoilt votes were 258 on the ward ballot and 277 on the list ballot.
| Party | Ward votes | Ward seats | List votes | List seats | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African National Congress | 5 534 (55.84%) | 4 | 5 568 (56.27%) | 2 | 6 |
| Democratic Alliance | 3 622 (36.55%) | 2 | 3 527 (35.64%) | 2 | 4 |
| United Democratic Movement | 643 (6.49%) | 0 | 800 (8.08%) | 1 | 1 |
| Independent candidates | 112 (1.13%) | 0 | — | — | 0 |
19 June 2002: Camdeboo Ward 5 by-election
The ANC retained Camdeboo Ward 5. That ward number belongs to the 2000 council, not to the 2021 Ward 5.
The IEC by-election list records an ANC hold. No separate vote total for this contest is published in the municipal summary used here.
14 April 2004: National and provincial election
IEC election day for the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
Proclaimed for 14 April 2004. A town-level result is not in the municipal tables used here.
1 March 2006: Camdeboo local election
The ANC won 8 of 11 seats.
Registered voters: 21 100. Turnout: 49.44% on both ballots.
10,176 valid ward votes and 10,188 valid list votes. Spoilt votes were 255 on the ward ballot and 244 on the list ballot.
| Party | Ward votes | Ward seats | List votes | List seats | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African National Congress | 6 859 (67.40%) | 5 | 6 840 (67.14%) | 3 | 8 |
| Democratic Alliance | 2 461 (24.18%) | 1 | 2 608 (25.60%) | 2 | 3 |
| Freedom Front Plus | 402 (3.95%) | 0 | 431 (4.23%) | 0 | 0 |
| Independent Democrats | 121 (1.19%) | 0 | 309 (3.03%) | 0 | 0 |
| Independent candidates | 333 (3.27%) | 0 | — | — | 0 |
22 April 2009: National and provincial election
IEC election day for the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
Proclaimed for 22 April 2009. The certified national voters’ roll had 23,181,997 names. A town-level result is not in the municipal tables used here.
18 May 2011: Camdeboo local election
The council grew to 14 seats. The ANC won 8 and the DA 6.
Registered voters: 23 164. Turnout: 58.51% on the ward ballot and 58.47% on the list ballot.
13,399 valid ward votes and 13,401 valid list votes. Spoilt votes were 155 on the ward ballot and 144 on the list ballot.
| Party | Ward votes | Ward seats | List votes | List seats | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African National Congress | 7 382 (55.09%) | 4 | 7 493 (55.91%) | 4 | 8 |
| Democratic Alliance | 5 586 (41.69%) | 3 | 5 634 (42.04%) | 3 | 6 |
| Independent Ratepayers Association of SA | 174 (1.30%) | 0 | 89 (0.66%) | 0 | 0 |
| Freedom Front Plus | 136 (1.02%) | 0 | 95 (0.71%) | 0 | 0 |
| Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 121 (0.90%) | 0 | 90 (0.67%) | 0 | 0 |
7 May 2014: National and provincial election
IEC election day for the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
A town-level result is not in the municipal tables used here.
20 January 2016: Camdeboo Ward 5 by-election
The DA retained Camdeboo Ward 5. That ward number belongs to the Camdeboo council, not to the 2021 Ward 5.
The IEC by-election list records a DA hold. No separate vote total for this contest is published in the municipal summary used here.
3 August 2016: Dr Beyers Naudé local election
First election of the merged council. The IEC printed EC101 as Camdeboo. The ANC won 14 of 27 seats and the DA 13.
Camdeboo, Ikwezi and Baviaans were merged into Dr Beyers Naudé for this election. The council had 14 wards and 27 seats. No other party won a seat.
Registered voters: 40 887. Turnout: 61.12% on the ward ballot and 61.31% on the proportional ballot.
24,593 valid ward votes and 24,709 valid proportional votes. Spoilt votes were 396 on the ward ballot and 359 on the proportional ballot.
| Party | Ward votes | Ward seats | List votes | List seats | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African National Congress | 12 561 (51.08%) | 8 | 12 607 (51.02%) | 6 | 14 |
| Democratic Alliance | 11 504 (46.78%) | 6 | 11 466 (46.40%) | 7 | 13 |
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 399 (1.62%) | 0 | 459 (1.86%) | 0 | 0 |
| Service Delivery Organisation | 115 (0.47%) | 0 | 177 (0.72%) | 0 | 0 |
| Independent candidates | 14 (0.06%) | 0 | — | — | 0 |
10 April 2019: Ward 2 by-election
The DA retained Ward 2, which covers Graaff-Reinet at Horseshoe and Nieu-Bethesda. Ricardo Llewellyn Smith won 78.52% of the votes cast. Turnout was 48.45%.
The IEC compared that share with 76.39% for the DA in the same ward in the 2016 municipal election.
8 May 2019: National and provincial election
IEC election day for the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
A town-level result is not in the municipal tables used here.
1 November 2021: Dr Beyers Naudé local election
The council was reduced to 24 seats and 12 wards. No party won a majority: the ANC 11, the DA 10, and one seat each for the EFF, the Compatriots of South Africa and the Vryheidsfront Plus.
The IEC declared the result on 4 November 2021. Twelve ward councillors and 12 proportional councillors were sworn in at the inaugural council on 23 November 2021. The 2022/23 annual report records Willem Jacobus Säfers of the ANC as mayor and Cheslin Felix of the Compatriots of South Africa as speaker for that year.
Registered voters: 39 913. Turnout: 47.10% on the ward ballot and 46.86% on the proportional ballot.
18,435 valid ward votes and 18,433 valid proportional votes. Spoilt votes were 363 on the ward ballot and 272 on the proportional ballot.
| Party | Ward votes | Ward seats | List votes | List seats | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African National Congress | 8 666 (47.01%) | 7 | 8 595 (46.63%) | 4 | 11 |
| Democratic Alliance | 7 253 (39.34%) | 5 | 7 330 (39.77%) | 5 | 10 |
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 782 (4.24%) | 0 | 760 (4.12%) | 1 | 1 |
| Compatriots of South Africa | 656 (3.56%) | 0 | 675 (3.66%) | 1 | 1 |
| Freedom Front Plus | 567 (3.08%) | 0 | 546 (2.96%) | 1 | 1 |
| Service Delivery Movement | 192 (1.04%) | 0 | 220 (1.19%) | 0 | 0 |
| Patriotic Alliance | 128 (0.69%) | 0 | 280 (1.52%) | 0 | 0 |
| Independent candidates | 180 (0.98%) | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| African Transformation Movement | 11 (0.06%) | 0 | 27 (0.15%) | 0 | 0 |
29 May 2024: National and provincial election
IEC election day for the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures.
A town-level result is not in the municipal tables used here.
Floor crossing
These were councillor movements during the legal floor-crossing windows. They were not elections, and the IEC recorded the seat changes.
8–22 October 2002
Floor-crossing window, not an election. One Democratic Alliance councillor in Camdeboo crossed to the New National Party. Seats afterwards: ANC 6, DA 3, United Democratic Movement 1, New National Party 1.
1–15 September 2004
Floor-crossing window, not an election. The New National Party and United Democratic Movement councillors in Camdeboo crossed to the ANC. Seats afterwards: ANC 8, DA 3.
Local totals are the Electoral Commission results for Camdeboo (EC101), Ikwezi (EC103), Baviaans (EC107) and Dr Beyers Naudé (EC101). The 2016 EC101 count was printed under the name Camdeboo. The 2021 ward councillors are the IEC list of 9 November 2021. The Ward 7 by-election is the IEC notice of 18 March 2026, and the Ward 2 by-election is the IEC notice of 10 April 2019.