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
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Cape Winelands
Seat	Stellenbosch
Wards	22
Government [1]
• Type	Municipal council
• Mayor	Gesie van Deventer (DA)
• Deputy Mayor	Nyaniso Jindela (DA)
• Speaker	Wilhelmina Petersen (DA)
Area
• Total	831 km^2 (321 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	155,733
• Density	190/km^2 (490/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	28.1%
• Coloured	52.2%
• Indian/Asian	0.4%
• White	18.5%
First languages (2011) [2]
• Afrikaans	67.7%
• Xhosa	20.8%
• English	7.2%
• Sotho	1.2%
• Other	3.1%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code	WC024

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]

Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	Democratic Alliance	38,821	39,191	78,012	69.4	18	12	30
	ANC	10,693	11,413	22,106	19.7	4	4	8
	Economic Freedom Fighters	2,052	2,108	4,160	3.7	0	2	2
	Democratic New Civic Association	1,055	802	1,857	1.7	0	1	1
	People's Democratic Movement	778	659	1,437	1.3	0	1	1
	ACDP	661	650	1,311	1.2	0	1	1
	African Independent Congress	319	506	825	0.7	0	0	0
	Freedom Front Plus	412	387	799	0.7	0	0	0
	United Franschhoek Valley	164	218	382	0.3	0	0	0
	Khoisan Kingdom and All People	132	165	297	0.3	0	0	0
	Congress of the People	69	168	237	0.2	0	0	0
	Alliance for Democratic Freedom	119	109	228	0.2	0	0	0
	Christian Democrats	96	116	212	0.2	0	0	0
	Independent	162	–	162	0.1	0	–	0
	UDM	39	121	160	0.1	0	0	0
	African People's Convention	60	89	149	0.1	0	0	0
	South African Progressive Civic Organisation	23	39	62	0.1	0	0	0
	Nationalist Coloured Party	16	–	16	0.0	0	–	0
	Ubuntu Party	15	–	15	0.0	0	–	0
Total		55,686	56,741	112,427		22	21	43
Valid votes		55,686	56,741	112,427	99.2
Spoilt votes		456	413	869	0.8
Total votes cast		56,142	57,154	113,296
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.

External links

• Official website
• Stellenbosch Local Municipality on the Western Cape Government website