Swellendam Local Municipality

Swellendam Municipality is a municipality located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of 2011 it had a population of 35,916.[2] Its municipality code is WC034.

Swellendam
Local municipality
Seal
Location in the Western Cape
Coordinates: 34°00′S 20°30′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictOverberg
SeatSwellendam
Wards5
Government
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • MayorN.G. Myburgh (DA)
Area
 • Total3,835 km2 (1,481 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total35,916
 • Density9.4/km2 (24/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African12.4%
 • Coloured68.8%
 • Indian/Asian0.3%
 • White17.4%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans85.1%
 • Xhosa6.9%
 • English4.7%
 • Other3.3%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeWC034

Geography

The municipality covers an area of 3,835 square kilometres (1,481 sq mi) around the lower Breede River Valley, from the confluence of the confluence of the Breede River and Sonderend River downstream to the Breede River mouth on the Indian Ocean. It also extends westwards up the Sonderend River and northwards across the Langeberg mountains into the Little Karoo around the Warmwaterberg. The municipality abuts on the Cape Agulhas Municipality to the south, the Theewaterskloof Municipality to the west, the Langeberg Municipality to the northwest, the Kannaland Municipality to the northeast and the Hessequa Municipality to the east.

According to the 2011 census the municipality has a population of 35,916 people in 10,139 households. Of this population, 68.8% describe themselves as "Coloured", 17.4% as "White", and 12.4% as "Black African". The first language of 85.1% of the population is Afrikaans, while 6.9% speak Xhosa and 4.7% speak English.[4]

The principal town and location of the municipal headquarters is Swellendam, which as of 2011 had a population of 17,537. Suurbraak (pop. 2,252) is situated east of Swellendam at the southern end of Tradouws Pass which cuts through the Langeberg, while Barrydale (pop. 4,156) is at the other end of the pass on the edge of the Little Karoo. Buffeljagsrivier (pop. 1,439) is situated southeast of Swellendam on the river of the same name. Malgas (pop. 44) is located at a pontoon ferry on the Breede River, the last crossing of the river before it reaches the ocean. Infanta (pop. 90) is situated at the mouth of the river on its southern bank.

Conservation areas

The most significant conservation areas are:

Politics

The municipal council consists of eleven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in six wards, while the remaining five 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 six seats on the council.

The following table shows the results of the 2016 election.[5][6][7]

PartyVotesSeats
WardListTotal%WardListTotal
Democratic Alliance 5,8655,91611,78147.9%246
ANC 5,4845,49010,97444.7%415
Freedom Front Plus 2602475072.1%000
Independent Civic Organisation 1581513091.3%000
Civic Independent 1331282611.1%000
Economic Freedom Fighters 1061102160.9%000
Community and Workers Alliance 981062040.8%000
ACDP 1031012040.8%000
Independent 117–1170.5%0–0
Total 12,32412,24924,5736511
Valid votes 12,32412,24924,57398.8%
Spoilt votes 1371653021.2%
Total votes cast 12,46112,41424,875
Voter turnout 12,461
Registered voters 18,881
Turnout percentage 66.0%

In a by-election held on 24 July 2019, the DA managed to win a ward from the ANC.[8] The council was reconfigured as seen below:

Party WardPR listTotal
Democratic Alliance 347
ANC 314
Total 6511

The local council sends one representative, a member of the Democratic Alliance, to the council of the Overberg District Municipality.[9]

References
  1. "Council Members". Swellendam Municipality online. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  2. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. "Swellendam Local Municipality". Census 2011.
  5. "Results Summary – All Ballots: Swellendam" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. "Seat Calculation Detail: Swellendam" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  7. "Voter Turnout Report: Swellendam" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  8. ANC and DA swop seats. Retrieved on 25 July 2019.
  9. "Political composition of councils February 2017" (PDF). Western Cape Department of Local Government. February 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
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