Endumeni is an isiZulu word meaning "a place of thunderstorm".

The municipality shares its name with the Endumeni hill.

[4] The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[5] The municipal council consists of thirteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.

Seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in seven wards, while the remaining six 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 1 November 2021, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, with both it and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) winning five seats.