The Overstrand municipality was created in 2000 by merging the Hangklip-Kleinmond, Hermanus, Stanford and Gansbaai municipalities. The council consisted of 18 members, 9 elected to represent wards and 9 from party lists. The election was held on 5 December 2000; the Democratic Alliance won a majority of 12 seats.
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the election in December 2000 and the floor crossing period in October 2002.
In the Overstrand council, seven councillors departed the Democratic Alliance (DA) to become representatives of the New National Party (NNP).[4] The NNP, which had formerly been part of the DA, then formed a coalition with the African National Congress (ANC); this coalition had a majority of 12 seats.
Another floor-crossing period occurred on 1–15 September 2004. In the Overstrand council, 5 councillors crossed from the New National Party (NNP) to the African National Congress (ANC), giving the ANC a majority of 10 seats.[5]
At the elections of 1 March 2006, the council was expanded to 19 members with the addition of a new ward. The Democratic Alliance won a majority with 10 seats.
The final floor-crossing period occurred on 1–15 September 2007; floor-crossing was subsequently abolished in 2008 by the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution. In the Overstrand council, the only representative of the African Christian Democratic Party crossed to the Democratic Alliance (DA), giving the DA an increased majority with 11 seats. The only representative of the Independent Democrats, as well as one representative of the African National Congress, crossed to the newly formed National People's Party.[8]
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period between the floor crossing period in September 2007 and the election in May 2011.
At the election of 18 May 2011, the council was expanded to 25 members with the addition of 3 new wards and 3 new PR list seats. The Democratic Alliance won a majority with 15 seats.