The eMadlangeni Local Municipality (previously known as Utrecht Local Municipality) council consists of eleven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in six wards, while the remaining five are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
In the election of 3 August 2016 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of six seats on the council.
In the election of 1 November 2021 the ANC lost its majority, with both the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) winning four seats on the council.
The following table shows the composition of the council after past elections.