The local sphere of government consists of municipalities throughout South Africa. A municipality’s executive and legislative authority is vested in its Municipal Council in these municipalities.

A municipality has the right to govern, on its initiative, the local government affairs of its community, subject to national and provincial legislation, as provided for in the Constitution.

The national or provincial government may not compromise or impede a municipality’s ability or right to exercise its powers or perform its functions. The Chief Albert Luthuli Municipal Council, led by the Executive Mayor Cllr M Magubane, is divided into the Mayoral Committee, The Ward Councillors and The Proportional Representative Councillors, with a Speaker and Chief Whip.

The Executive Mayor is the first citizen of the Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality and has the overall political responsibility for the local municipality. The Executive Mayor represents the face of the Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality and is responsible for managing all its affairs. This is a mammoth task in a municipality with 187 629 citizens.