Matjhabeng Local Municipality

Matjhabeng
Local municipality

Seal
Location in the Free State
Location in the Free State
Country South Africa
Province Free State
District Lejweleputswa
Seat Welkom
Wards 36
Government[1]
 • Type Municipal council
 • Mayor Nkosenjani Speelman (ANC)
Area
 • Total 5,155 km2 (1,990 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 406,461
 • Density 79/km2 (200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
 • Black African 87.7%
 • Coloured 2.1%
 • Indian/Asian 0.4%
 • White 9.6%
First languages (2011)[3]
 • Sotho 64.0%
 • Xhosa 12.3%
 • Afrikaans 12.3%
 • English 3.6%
 • Other 7.8%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code FS184

Matjhabeng Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Lejweleputswa District of the Free State in South Africa, that includes the city of Welkom. The name is a Sesotho word meaning "where nations meet". It is derived from the migrant labour system where people from various countries like Lesotho, Mozambique, etc. meet to work in the mines of the Goldfields.[4]

Reported corruption

In 2011 the municipality came into the news as one of the worst examples of the widespread corruption under the ANC. In about four years about R2bn went missing [5]

Geography

The municipality covers an area of 5,155 square kilometres (1,990 sq mi) in the goldfields of the central Free State, north of Bloemfontein and south of Kroonstad. According to the 2011 census it has a population of 406,461 people in 123,195 households. Of this population, 88% describe themselves as "Black African", 10% as "White", and 2% as "Coloured". The first language of 64% of the population is Sotho, while 12% speak Xhosa, 12% speak Afrikaans and 4% speak English.[6]

In the western part of the municipality there is a string of mining towns that runs from northwest to southeast: Allanridge (pop. 19,337[7]), Odendaalsrus (pop. 63,743[8]), Welkom (pop. 211,011[9]) and Virginia (pop. 66,208[10]). Further to the east are the agricultural towns of Hennenman (pop. 24,355[11]) and Ventersburg (pop. 11,260[12]).

Politics

The municipal council consists of seventy-two members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-six wards, while the remaining thirty-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 3 August 2016 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of forty-six seats in the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[13][14]

PartyVotesSeats
WardListTotal%WardListTotal
African National Congress 68,92569,781138,70662.2291746
Democratic Alliance 24,10624,62348,72921.861016
Economic Freedom Fighters 9,1389,73818,8768.5066
Independent 5,947–5,9472.71–1
Freedom Front Plus 1,8581,8583,6861.6011
Congress of the People 1,5101,1982,7081.2011
United Front of Civics 02,7082,7081.2011
African People's Convention 2075097160.3000
African Christian Democratic Party 2733085810.3000
Independent Civic Organisation 1593104690.2000
Total 112,123111,003223,126100.0363672
Spoilt votes 1,8941,9723,866

In a by-election held on 23 August 2017, a ward previously held by a DA councillor was won by the candidate from the United Front of Civics.[15] Council composition was reconfigured as seen below:

Party WardPR listTotal
African National Congress 291746
Democratic Alliance 51015
Economic Freedom Fighters 066
United Front of Civics 112
Congress of the People 011
Freedom Front Plus 011
Independent 1–1
Total 363672

References

  1. ↑ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. ↑ South African Languages - Place names
  5. ↑ Times Live June 11, 2011
  6. ↑ "Matjhabeng Local Municipality". Census 2011.
  7. ↑ Sum of the Main Places Allanridge and Phathakahle from Census 2011.
  8. ↑ Sum of the Main Places Odendaalsrus and Kutlwanong from Census 2011.
  9. ↑ Sum of the following Main Places from Census 2011: Hani Park, Riebeeckstad, Thabong, Welkom.
  10. ↑ Sum of the Main Places Virginia and Meloding from Census 2011.
  11. ↑ Sum of the Main Places Hennenman and Phomolong from Census 2011.
  12. ↑ Sum of the Main Places Ventersburg, Mmamahabane and Tswelangpele from Census 2011.
  13. ↑ "Results Summary – All Ballots: Matjhabeng" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Seat Calculation Detail: Matjhabeng" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  15. ↑ "By-Elections: ANC claws back seats from DA in rural Western Cape". Daily Maverick. 24 August 2017.

Coordinates: 27°58′S 26°44′E / 27.967°S 26.733°E / -27.967; 26.733

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