It encompasses the towns of Qumbu and Tsolo, together with the surrounding villages.

Mhlontlo was a king of the AmaMpondomise people during the 19th century.

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

Twenty-six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-six wards, while the remaining twenty-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 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of forty seats on the council.