Blouberg Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the northern region of the Capricorn District Municipality in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B4 (mostly rural) |
| Province: | Limpopo |
| District: | Capricorn |
| Municipal code: | LIM351 |
| Seat: | Senwabarwana |
| Number of wards: | 22 |
| Total area: | 9,540 km² (3,683 square miles) |
| Population: | 192,109 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Maria Thamaga |
About
Blouberg Municipality was established in 2000 after the amalgamation of the Northern District Council and Bochum/ My Darling TLC.
Blouberg Local Municipality is geographically located in the northern region of the Capricorn District Municipality.
The municipality takes its name from the Blouberg (blue mountains), a mountain range located to the west of the western end of the Soutpansberg Mountain Range, northwest of the town of Vivo.
Situated about 95 kilometres from Polokwane, the Capital City of Limpopo Province, Blouberg Local Municipality covers an area of 9,540 km² (3,683 square miles) and is spread to a wide geographic area right up to the Botswana border, making it the largest local municipality in the Capricorn District as it accounts for almost half of its geographical area.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Blouberg Local Municipality is in Senwabarwana (previously known as Bochum).
The municipality is divided into 22 wards and has 118 settlements with Senwabarwana and Alldays considered semi-urban.
Blouberg Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Lephalale Local Municipality in the Waterberg District Municipality to the west
- Mogalakwena Local Municipality in the Waterberg District Municipality to the south
- Polokwane and Molemole Local Municipalities to the south
- Makhado and Musina Local Municipality in the Vhembe District Municipality to the east
- The Republic of Botswana to the north
Blouberg Local Municipality is a mountainous area home to some of the most spectacular rock climbing in South Africa. It is famous for its big-wall natural climbing, with route lengths up to 350m.
The region’s vegetation ranges from subtropical savanna at the base, to alpine near the summit.
Blouberg is a hot region with annual rainfall varying between 380 and 550mm. Most rainfall is experienced during the summer months. Evapotranspiration during the rainy season is very high.
Blouberg is prone to frequent drought, which hurts the local economy. The only perennial river is the Mogalakwena River, which feeds the Glen Alpine Dam, the only source of pipeline water in the area.
However, despite there being various sources of water in the Blouberg area, most people do not have access to clean water. The majority of people in the region receive their water from natural sources but there is concern of those who receive water from unspecified sources.
There are chronic water shortages in areas like Gemarke, Driekoppies, Old Longsigne, Raditshaba, and Alldays Extension et al. Meanwhile, the quality of water in areas such as Swarts, Kibi, and Sadu is not adequately good for human consumption as it is very salty.
The inhabitants of Blouberg Local Municipality are mostly the Bahananwa people, Batlokwa people, and a small portion of Vha-Venda, Afrikaans, and English speaking in the rural farms.
The region has a rich history of physical resistance to the early 19th Century Boer colonial incursion. The introduction of the Bantustan and trust systems were met with unabated community disapproval.
The consequences of this particular stance resulted in both the central and Bantustan governments starving the communities around Blouberg of basic infrastructures and related development needs. Hence, it is today one of the least developed regions of the province.
Blouberg Local Municipality also has South Africa’s lowest levels of income with some sections of the population below RDP standards.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Blouberg Local Municipality has a population of 192,109 people, compared to 172,601 in 2016, and 175,085 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.9%.
According to the 2022 Census, 35% of the population is under the age of 15, 56.5% is between 15 and 64, and 8.5% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 99% of the population in Blouberg Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.6% as White, and 0.1% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 93.8% of the population speaks Sepedi as their first language and 6.2% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Blouberg Local Municipality are tourism, agriculture, and mining.
Municipal council and management
The Blouberg municipal council is comprised of 44 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twenty-two councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 22 wards, while the remaining 22 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 1 November 2021, the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of 33 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 33 – EFF: 7 – COPE: 2 – ABC: 1 – DA: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Maria Thamaga |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | Phineas Boloka |
| Chief Whip | Johanna Rangata |
| Other Council Members | – Raseruthe Agnes (Chairperson: Infrastructure Development) – Robert Makobela (Chairperson: Finance) – Daniel Mosena (Chairperson: Economic Development and Planning) – Prince Motswabe (Chairperson: Corporate Services) – C Phoshoko – Shirley Raphasha (Chairperson: Community Services) – Martin Tlouamma |
| Municipal Manager | Refilwe Ramothwala |
| Chief Financial Officer | Nkwata Jack Mabote |
| Senior Management | – Herbert Masipa (Acting Director: Corporate Services) – Adv MB Monyemoratho (Director: Community Services) – Stanford Moremi (Acting Director: Economic Development and Planning) |
| Communications Officers | Sodi Magomane |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Blouberg Local Municipality.
- Alldays
- Senwabarwana (formerly known as Bochum)
Tourism
There are two nature reserves in Blouberg Local Municipality namely, Maleboho Nature Reserve and Blouberg Nature Reserve. Blouberg also has the German mission in Senwabarwana and Liepzig which are seen as Heritage sites and also the 1903 prison in the Blouberg Mountain.
The region is also home to the Senwabarwana Wetland which needs to be protected to prevent it from further contamination and degradation.
There is also the Lutheran Church next to Helena Franz Hospital which also reflects on the history of the people in the Blouberg.
As one adventures the Makgabeng Mountain, you discover about the 400 stone sites which has the rock art paintings and Iron Age sites. These footprints are able to reflect on how people who were resided in the area lived.
There is an African ivory Route camp at Beauly on the foot of the Blouberg Mountain and a hiking trail on the mountain that ensures Blouberg is at the forefront of tourism development.
The geographical location of Blouberg between the Waterberg wetlands and the Dongola Trans-frontier Park, which encompasses the Mapungubwe area, is of great significance as the provincial Tourism directorate along the African Ivory route identifies this area.
Contact details
The contact details of Blouberg Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 1593, Senwabarwana, 0790 |
| Physical Address: | 2nd Building Mogwadi, Senwabarwana Road, Senwabarwana |
| Telephone: | 015 505 7100 |
| Fax: | 015 505 0296 |
| Email: | info@blouberg.gov.za |
| Website: | www.blouberg.gov.za |
| Ambulance: | – 015 5050 750 – 10177 |
| Police: | – 015 5050 151 – 10111 |
| Traffic: | – 015 5050 575 – 10177 |
| Disaster: | – 015 5057 511 – 015 293 9777 |
| Helen Franz Hospital: | 015 5050 750 |
