Oudtshoorn Local Municipality

Oudtshoorn Municipality (Afrikaans: Oudtshoorn Munisipaliteit) is a municipality located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of 2011 the population was 95,933.[2]

Oudtshoorn
Local municipality
Seal
Location in the Western Cape
Coordinates: 33°40′S 22°10′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictGarden Route
SeatOudtshoorn
Wards13
Government
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • MayorColan Sylvester (DA)
Area
 • Total3,537 km2 (1,366 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total95,933
 • Density27/km2 (70/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African9.1%
 • Coloured77.3%
 • Indian/Asian0.3%
 • White12.5%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans91.0%
 • Xhosa4.8%
 • English2.3%
 • Other1.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeWC045

Geography

The municipality covers an area of 3,537 square kilometres (1,366 sq mi) in the Little Karoo, stretching from the Swartberg mountains in the north to the Outeniqua Mountains in the south, and from the Gamkaberg in the west to the Kammanassie Mountains in the east. It abuts on the Prince Albert Municipality to the north, the George Municipality to the east, the Mossel Bay Municipality to the south, the Hessequa Municipality to the southwest and the Kannaland Municipality to the west.

According to the 2011 census the municipality has a population of 95,933 people in 21,910 households. Of this population, 77.3% describe themselves as "Coloured", 12.5% as "White", and 9.1% as "Black African". The first language of 91.0% of the population is Afrikaans, while 4.8% speak Xhosa and 2.3% speak English.[4]

Most of the residents of the municipality live in the town of Oudtshoorn, which as of 2011 has a population of 61,507.[5] East of Oudtshoorn are the towns of Dysselsdorp (pop. 12,544) and De Rust (pop. 3,566). There are small agricultural villages at Armoed (pop. 472) and De Hoop (pop. 151).

Politics

The municipal council consists of twenty-five members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirteen wards, while the remaining twelve 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 Democratic Alliance (DA) won a majority of fourteen seats on the council, defeating an ANC-lead coalition that previously controlled the council.[1]

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.[6][7][8]

PartyVotesSeats
WardListTotal%WardListTotal
Democratic Alliance 15,79715,78331,58055.4%12214
ANC 7,7707,72215,49227.2%167
Independent Civic Organisation 1,9271,7503,6776.5%022
South African Religious Civic Organisation 7837291,5122.7%011
Economic Freedom Fighters 4744289021.6%011
Advieskantoor 4094318401.5%000
Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners 4144098231.4%000
Freedom Front Plus 3744077811.4%000
Unemployed Peoples Association 2202454650.8%000
ACDP 1771683450.6%000
Congress of the People 1051963010.5%000
South Africa Civics 82881700.3%000
Democratic New Civic Association 49611100.2%000
Total 28,58128,41756,998131225
Valid votes 28,58128,41756,99898.9%
Spoilt votes 3222996211.1%
Total votes cast 28,90328,71657,619
Voter turnout 28,932
Registered voters 52,443
Turnout percentage 55.2%

The local council sends three representatives to the council of the Garden Route District Municipality. As of February 2017 this delegation consisted of two councillors from the Democratic Alliance and one from the African National Congress.[9]

Coats of arms

Municipality (1) — The town council adopted the Van Reede van Oudtshoorn arms "with certain modifications" on 7 February 1908.[10] The arms were : Argent, two bars dancetty Sable (i.e. a silver shield with two black zig-zag stripes across it), with two golden gryphons as supporters. A golden mural crown was placed above the shield (this appears to have been the "modification").

Oudtshoorn coat of arms (1960)

Municipality (2) — The arms were re-designed in 1959 by Ivan Mitford-Barberton and H. Ellis Tomlinson, and granted by the College of Arms on 9 September 1960. They were registered with the Cape Provincial Administration in June 1961[11] and at the Bureau of Heraldry in October 1970.[12]

The changes to the design were the addition of a red chief bearing a golden mural crown to the shield; the addition of a crest consisting of a pair of black wings inside a golden ring; and each supporter was given an ostrich feather to hold.[11][12] For some reason, the municipal council later changed the colours : the chief was changed to gold and the mural crown to red, the wings were changed to silver and the ring to red, and the gryphons were changed from gold to red. The registration at the Bureau does not appear to have been amended to reflect these alterations.

References
  1. http://ewn.co.za/2016/08/16/Troubled-Oudtshoorn-Municipality-gets-new-mayor
  2. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. "Oudtshoorn Local Municipality". Census 2011.
  5. Sum of the Main Places Oudtshoorn, Bongolethu and Bridgeton from Census 2011.
  6. "Results Summary – All Ballots: Oudtshoorn" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  7. "Seat Calculation Detail: Oudtshoorn" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  8. "Voter Turnout Report: Oudtshoorn" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  9. "Political composition of councils February 2017" (PDF). Western Cape Department of Local Government. February 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  10. Western Cape Archives : Oudtshoorn Municipal Minutes (7 February 1908).
  11. Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette 3087 (23 June 1961)
  12. National Archives of South Africa : Data of the Bureau of Heraldry
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