Swellendam Local Municipality

Swellendam
Swellendam
Local municipality
	UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code	WC034

Swellendam Municipality (

Afrikaans: Swellendam Munisipaliteit) is a local municipality located within the Overberg District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2011, it had a population of 35,916.^[2]

Its municipality code is WC034.

Geography

The municipality covers an area of 3,835 square kilometres (1,481 sq mi) around the lower

Hessequa Municipality

to the east.

According to the

Black African". The first language of 85.1% of the population is Afrikaans, while 6.9% speak Xhosa and 4.7% speak English.^[3]

The principal town and location of the municipal headquarters is

Infanta

(pop. 90) is situated at the mouth of the river on its southern bank.

History

At end of the

Coloured residents elected management committees, which were subordinate to the white local authorities, in Railton (Swellendam) and Smitsville (Barrydale). The former mission station of Suurbraak

was governed by a management board, and the remaining rural areas fell under the Overberg Regional Services Council.

After the

national elections of 1994

a process of local government transformation began, in which negotiations were held between the existing local authorities, political parties, and local community organisations. As a result of these negotiations, transitional local councils (TLCs) were created for each town and village. In December 1994 the Swellendam TLC was created, replacing the Municipality of Swellendam and the Railton Management Committee. In January 1995 the Barrydale TLC replaced the Barrydale Municipality and the Smitsville Management Committee. In the same month the Suurbraak TLC replaced the Suurbraak Management Board. In Infanta, where there had been no negotiations, the local council remained in place until October 1995 when it was converted into a TLC.

The transitional councils were initially made up of members nominated by the various parties to the negotiations, until May 1996 when elections were held. At these elections the Overberg District Council was established, replacing the Overberg Regional Services Council. Transitional representative councils (TRCs) were also elected to represent rural areas outside the TLCs on the District Council; the area that was to become the Swellendam Municipality included most of the Swellendam TRC as well as small areas of the Bredasdorp, Langeberg and Wynland TRCs.

At the

local elections of December 2000 the TLCs and TRCs were dissolved, and the Swellendam Municipality was created as a single local authority incorporating both rural and urban areas. In 2011 rural land to the north and west of Barrydale was incorporated into the municipality when District Management Areas

were abolished.

Conservation areas

The most significant conservation areas are:

Politics

The municipal council consists of eleven members elected by

party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021, the Democratic Alliance

(DA) won a majority of six seats on the council.

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[4]

Swellendam local election, 1 November 2021
Party		Votes				Seats
Party		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	Democratic Alliance	6,150	6,219	12,369	52.2%	3	3	6
	African National Congress	4,454	4,699	9,153	38.6%	3	1	4
	Freedom Front Plus	370	368	738	3.1%	0	1	1
	Independent candidates	277	–	277	1.2%	0	–	0
	6 other parties	544	604	1,148	4.8%	0	0	0
Total		11,795	11,890	23,685		6	5	11

Valid votes		11,795	11,890	23,685	98.1%
Spoilt votes		169	284	453	1.9%
Total votes cast		11,964	12,174	24,138

Voter turnout		12,186
Registered voters		20,647
Turnout percentage		59.0%

References

^ "Council Members". Swellendam Municipality online. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
^ "Swellendam Local Municipality". Census 2011.
^ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Swellendam". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 2021-11-08.

External links

[1] "Council Members". Swellendam Municipality online. Retrieved 11 September 2013.

[muni_population-2] "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.

[3] "Swellendam Local Municipality". Census 2011.

[4] "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Swellendam". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 2021-11-08.

[2]

[3]

v t e Municipalities and communities of Overberg District Municipality, Western Cape
District seat: Bredasdorp
Cape Agulhas	Arniston Bredasdorp Elim Hotagterklip L'Agulhas Napier Protem Skipskop Struisbaai Suiderstrand	Overberg District within South Africa
Overstrand	Baardskeerdersbos Betty's Bay Birkenhead De Kelders Fisherhaven Franskraalstrand Gansbaai Hawston Hermanus Kleinbaai Kleinmond Onrusrivier Pearly Beach Pringle Bay Rooiels Sandbaai Stanford Van Dyks Bay Vermont Wolvengat
Swellendam	Barrydale Buffeljagsrivier Infanta Malgas Stormsvlei Suurbraak Swellendam
Theewaterskloof	Botrivier Caledon Genadendal Grabouw Greyton Riviersonderend Tesselaarsdal Villiersdorp