Basotho prophet 'Mantsopa Makhetha[4] was a cousin to King Moshoeshoe I, who banished her from the Kingdom when he suspected that her powers were greater than his.

In 1886 a group of men called The Brotherhood of St Augustine arrived at Modderpoort, and 'Mantsopa accommodated them in her cave.

The missionaries decided to stay and they turned the cave into a chapel.

Nine councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in nine wards, while the remaining nine 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) won a majority of eleven seats on the council.