Matjhabeng Local Municipality

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]

Matjhabeng
Local municipality
Seal
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 km^2 (1,990 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	406,461
• Density	79/km^2 (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

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]

Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	African National Congress	68,925	69,781	138,706	62.2	29	17	46
	Democratic Alliance	24,106	24,623	48,729	21.8	6	10	16
	Economic Freedom Fighters	9,138	9,738	18,876	8.5	0	6	6
	Independent	5,947	–	5,947	2.7	1	–	1
	Freedom Front Plus	1,858	1,858	3,686	1.6	0	1	1
	Congress of the People	1,510	1,198	2,708	1.2	0	1	1
	United Front of Civics	0	2,708	2,708	1.2	0	1	1
	African People's Convention	207	509	716	0.3	0	0	0
	African Christian Democratic Party	273	308	581	0.3	0	0	0
	Independent Civic Organisation	159	310	469	0.2	0	0	0
Total		112,123	111,003	223,126	100.0	36	36	72
Spoilt votes		1,894	1,972	3,866

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		Ward	PR list	Total
	African National Congress	29	17	46
	Democratic Alliance	5	10	15
	Economic Freedom Fighters	0	6	6
	United Front of Civics	1	1	2
	Congress of the People	0	1	1
	Freedom Front Plus	0	1	1
	Independent	1	–	1
Total		36	36	72

References

1. "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
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.

External links

• Official website