Stellenbosch Local Municipality

Stellenbosch Local Municipality (also known as Stellenbosch Municipality) is the local municipality that governs the towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Pniel, and the surrounding rural areas, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It covers an area of 831 square kilometres (321 sq mi)[3] and, as of 2011, had a population of 155,733 people in 43,420 households.[2] It falls within the Cape Winelands District Municipality.

Stellenbosch
Local municipality
Seal
Location in the Western Cape
Coordinates: 33°55′S 19°55′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictCape Winelands
SeatStellenbosch
Wards22
Government
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • MayorGesie van Deventer (DA)
 • Deputy MayorNyaniso Jindela (DA)
 • SpeakerWilhelmina Petersen (DA)
Area
 • Total831 km2 (321 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total155,733
 • Density190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African28.1%
 • Coloured52.2%
 • Indian/Asian0.4%
 • White18.5%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans67.7%
 • Xhosa20.8%
 • English7.2%
 • Sotho1.2%
 • Other3.1%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeWC024

Geography

The municipality covers an area of 831 square kilometres (321 sq mi) around the towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. To the west and southwest it extends as far as the urban edge of the Cape Town metropolitan area, while to the east and southeast it is bounded by mountain ranges. The western part of the municipality around Stellenbosch and the eastern part in the Franschhoek valley are separated by mountains through which the Helshoogte Pass travels. The Stellenbosch Municipality abuts on the Drakenstein Municipality to the north, the Breede Valley Municipality to the northeast, the Theewaterskloof Municipality to the southeast and the City of Cape Town to the west and southwest.

About half of the residents of the municipality live in Stellenbosch and its suburbs, which have a total population of 77,476.[4] The second-largest town is Franschhoek with 15,616 residents.[5] Klapmuts (pop. 7,703) is situated on the northern edge of the municipality next to the N1 national road. In the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are the villages of Pniel (pop. 1,975), Kylemore (pop. 4,328) and Languedoc (pop. 4,289). Other rural settlements in the municipality are Jamestown (pop. 2,840), Koelenhof (pop. 302), Lynedoch (pop. 108), Raithby (pop. 908) and Wiesiesdraai (pop. 1,727).

Demographics

According to the South African National Census of 2011, the population of the Stellenbosch Municipality is 155,733 people. This represents an annual growth rate of 2.7% compared to the result of the previous census in 2001 which found a population of 118,709 people.[6]:54 The sex ratio is 96, meaning that there are slightly more women than men.[6]:55 52.2% of the population described themselves as "Coloured", 28.1% as "Black African", 18.5% as "White", and 0.4% as "Indian or Asian".[6]:56–59 Of those residents who were asked about their first language, 67.7% spoke Afrikaans, 20.8% spoke Xhosa and 7.2% spoke English. 22.8% of the population is under the age of 15, while 4.9% is 65 or older.[6]:61

Of those residents aged 20 or older, 3.2% have no schooling, 13.0% have some schooling but did not finish primary school, 6.2% finished primary school but have no secondary schooling, 35.0% have some secondary schooling but did not finish Grade 12, 25.3% finished Grade 12 but have no higher education, and 17.4% have higher education. Overall, 42.7% have at least a Grade 12 education.[6]:69 Of those aged between 5 and 25, 70.0% are attending an educational institution.[6]:76 Amongst those aged between 15 and 65 the unemployment rate is 15.1%.[6]:79 The average annual household income is R154,617.[6]:88

There are 43,420 households in the municipality, giving an average household size of 3.3 people.[6]:80 Of those households, 75.1% are in formal structures (houses or flats), while 22.9% are in informal structures (shacks).[6]:81 92.9% of households use electricity for lighting.[6]:84 80.5% of households have piped water to the dwelling, while 18.6% have piped water through a communal tap.[6]:85 89.4% of households have regular refuse collection service.[6]:86 91.7% of households have a flush toilet or chemical toilet, while 2.6% still use a bucket toilet.[6]:87 81.1% of households have a refrigerator, 83.0% have a television and 67.6% have a radio. Only 25.9% have a landline telephone, but 89.2% have a cellphone. 37.7% have a computer, and 45.3% have access to the Internet (either through a computer or a cellphone).[6]:83

Politics
Results of the 2016 Municipal Elections
  DA (30)
  ANC (8)
  EFF (2)
  Other parties (3)

The municipal council consists of forty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-two councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-two wards, while the remaining twenty-one are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the 2016 local government elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) received a majority of thirty seats on the council.

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.[7][8][9]

PartyVotesSeats
WardListTotal%WardListTotal
Democratic Alliance 38,82139,19178,01269.4181230
ANC 10,69311,41322,10619.7448
Economic Freedom Fighters 2,0522,1084,1603.7022
Democratic New Civic Association 1,0558021,8571.7011
People's Democratic Movement 7786591,4371.3011
ACDP 6616501,3111.2011
African Independent Congress 3195068250.7000
Freedom Front Plus 4123877990.7000
United Franschhoek Valley 1642183820.3000
Khoisan Kingdom and All People 1321652970.3000
Congress of the People 691682370.2000
Alliance for Democratic Freedom 1191092280.2000
Christian Democrats 961162120.2000
Independent 162–1620.10–0
UDM 391211600.1000
African People's Convention 60891490.1000
South African Progressive Civic Organisation 2339620.1000
Nationalist Coloured Party 16–160.00–0
Ubuntu Party 15–150.00–0
Total 55,68656,741112,427222143
Valid votes 55,68656,741112,42799.2
Spoilt votes 4564138690.8
Total votes cast 56,14257,154113,296
Total voter turnout 57,257
Registered voters 91,881
Turnout percentage 62.3

The local council sends five representatives to the council of the Cape Winelands District Municipality: four from the Democratic Alliance and one from the African National Congress[10]

Mayors
  • Gesie van Deventer (August 2016 – present) (DA)
  • Conrad Sidego (June 2011 – August 2016) (DA)[11]
  • Cyril Jooste (December 2009 - June 2011) (DA)
  • Patrick Swartz (April 2008 - December 2009) (KCA)
  • Lauretta Maree (March 2006 - April 2008) (DA)
  • Willie Ortell (October 2002 - March 2006) (NNP)

Political history

In the local government elections of 2000, the Democratic Alliance came to power in Stellenbosch. The administration was short-lived, however, and in October 2002, an African National Congress (ANC) and New National Party (NNP) coalition took over the council when four councillors defected from the DA and a local community party during a floor-crossing period.[12] Willie Ortell (NNP) was elected mayor and GW Adonis (ANC) was chosen as deputy mayor.[13]

After the next local government elections in 2006, a coalition was formed by the DA and several smaller parties, and Lauretta Maree of the DA was elected as executive mayor and Khulile Shubani of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) as deputy-mayor. In February 2008 councillor Myra Linders left the DA and stood as an independent candidate in the resulting by-election, and won. Her shift in allegiance allowed an ANC-led coalition, with the swing votes of the two councillors from the Kayamandi Community Alliance (KCA) to take control of the council in April 2008.[14] Patrick Swartz of the KCA was elected mayor while Cameron Mcako of the ANC became deputy mayor. After serious allegations of fraud by councillors surfaced, Myra Linders once again used her swing vote to topple the administration in December 2009 by supporting a DA-led motion of no-confidence in the mayor, deputy mayor and speaker Gordon Pheiffer of the ANC.[15] Cyril Jooste of the DA became the new mayor, and Mcako and Pheiffer both resigned.

In the 2011 local government elections voters handed the DA an outright majority of twenty-five seats on the council, resulting in the first stable municipal council in more than a decade. Conrad Sidego of the DA was appointed the new mayor.[11]

In the 2016 local government elections, the DA increased their majority in the council to thirty seats. Gesie van Deventer of the DA was elected as the new mayor.

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. "Stellenbosch Local Municipality". Municipal Demarcation Board. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  4. Sum of the following Main Places from Census 2011: Welgevonden, Cloetesville, Khayamandi, Pappegaai, La Colline, Tennantville, Idasvallei, Stellenbosch, Onder Papegaaiberg, Devon Valley, Dalsig, Kleingeluk, Paradyskloof, Brandwacht.
  5. Sum of the Subplaces Langrug, Groendal and Hugenote from Census 2011.
  6. Census 2011 Municipal report: Western Cape (PDF). Statistics South Africa. 2012. ISBN 978-0-621-41459-2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-01-02. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  7. "Results Summary – All Ballots: Stellenbosch" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  8. "Seat Calculation Detail: Stellenbosch" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  9. "Voter Turnout Report: Stellenbosch" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  10. "Political composition of councils February 2017" (PDF). Western Cape Department of Local Government. February 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  11. "New Executive Mayor / MayCo Elected". Stellenbosch Municipality. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2011. The Stellenbosch Municipal Council elected Alderman Conrad Sidego as its Executive Mayor on Tuesday, 31 May 2011 at the 1st Council Meeting after the 2011 Local Government Elections.
  12. "ANC/NNP grab Stellenbosch". News24. SAPA. 15 October 2002. Retrieved 21 May 2011. In a humiliating blow for Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon, the African National Congress and New National Party have taken control of Stellenbosch.
  13. "Member Contact Details". Stellenbosch Council (2000). Stellenbosch Local Municipality. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  14. Ana, Powell (9 April 2008). "Stellenbosch in ANC hands". Independent Online News. Retrieved 21 May 2011. After just two years of DA rule, the ANC has reclaimed the Stellenbosch municipality with the help of the Khayamandi Community Alliance (KCA) that voted against it in March 2006.
  15. Murray, Williams (9 December 2009). "DA bites a big chunk out of the Western Cape". Independent Online News. Retrieved 21 May 2011. DA councillor Cyril Jooste, 54, from Jamestown, was voted in as mayor of Stellenbosch on Tuesday after a fragile ANC-led coalition collapsed.
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