Dihlabeng Local Municipality is a Category B municipality within the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality in the eastern region of the Free State Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B2 (large town) |
| Province: | Free State |
| District: | Thabo Mofutsanyana |
| Municipal code: | FS192 |
| Seat: | Bethlehem |
| Number of wards: | 20 |
| Total area: | 4,868 km² (1,880 square miles) |
| Population: | 130,434 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Tseki James Tseki |
About
Dihlabeng Local Municipality was established in terms of Section 12 of the Local Government Structures Act, 117 of 1998, after the first general local government elections of 5 December 2000, which heralded the final phase of local government reform as envisaged in 1994 at the onset of the process of democratisation.
Dihlabeng Local Municipality is geographically located in the central region of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, in the eastern region of the Free State Province. It is one of six municipalities in the district.
Dihlabeng Local Municipality covers an area of 4,868 km² (1,880 square miles), making it the fourth-largest municipality in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Dihlabeng Local Municipality is in Bethlehem, which is approximately 240 kilometres northeast of Bloemfontein, 140 kilometres east of Kroonstad, and 90 kilometres west of Harrismith.
The municipality is divided into 20 wards.
Dihlabeng Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Setsoto Local Municipality to the west
- Nketoana Local Municipality to the north
- Phumelela Local Municipality to the northeast
- Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality to the east
- The country of Lesotho to the south
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Dihlabeng Local Municipality has a population of 130,434, compared to 140,044 in 2016 and 128,704 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.13%.
According to the 2022 Census, 25.9% of the population is under the age of 15, 67% is between 15 and 64, and 7.1% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 87.4% of the population in Dihlabeng Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 10.4% as White, 1.5% as Coloured, and 0.5% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 77.5% of the population speaks Sesotho as their first language, 11.9% speak Afrikaans, 4.8% speak isiZulu, 2.4% speak English, and 3.4% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Dihlabeng Local Municipality are agriculture, private business, finance, social services, trade, manufacturing, services, transport, construction, and tourism.
Agriculture
Of the total farmland area in the Eastern Free State, 34% is located within the Dihlabeng Local Municipality – a factor that confirms the agricultural comparative advantage that the municipality has in the Free State Province.
The agricultural sector of the Dihlabeng region is extremely prominent.
Industry
The normal industrial incentives, with specific reference to affordable purchase prices, endorsed by Dihlabeng Local Council, ensure growth in the epithelium industrial area. The significance of the Lesotho Highlands Water and the Bethlehem Hydro Electricity projects are also relevant in this regard.
Tourism
Dihlabeng has arguably some of the best tourism centres and facilities in the eastern region of the Free State Province. The diversity of the centre range from cultural, heritage, water-related, hiking, fishing, abseiling, 4×4 trails, site seeing, bird & game watching and shopping to unspoilt landscapes. Proclaimed historical monuments in sandstone are prominent.
Upmarket residential, business and tourism development of a large scale is currently taking place in the region.
Municipal council and management
The Dihlabeng municipal council is comprised of 40 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twenty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 20 wards, while the remaining 20 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 23 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 23 – DA: 7 – EFF: 4 – AULA: 2 – VF PLUS: 2 – F4SD: 1 – INDEPENDENT: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Tseki James Tseki |
| Speaker | Nthabeleng Mofokeng |
| Chief Whip | Mosalla Mokotla |
| Other Council Members | – S.M Jacobs (MMC: Community Services) – M.D Makhathini (MMC: IDP, Evaluation and Monitoring) – M.A Mokoena (MMC: Woman, Disability and Vulnerable Groups) – M.E Sempe (MMC: Human Settlement and Rural Development) – J Twala (MMC: Infrastructure and Technical Services) – P.R van Wyk (MMC: Corporate Services) |
| Municipal Manager | Busa Molatseli |
| Chief Financial Officer | Pule Khiba |
| Senior Management | – Seipati Mabula (Director: Corporate Services) – Nkosi Mondi (Director: Local Economic Development) – Angela Mosima (Director: Community Services) – Ntokozo Shabalala (Director: Municipal Infrastructure) |
| Communications Officers | Tshediso Maitse |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Dihlabeng Local Municipality.
- Bethlehem
- Clarens
- Fouriesburg
- Golden Gate Highlands National Park
- Paul Roux
- Rosendal
Contact details
The contact details of Dihlabeng Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 551, Bethlehem, 9700 |
| Physical Address: | 9 Muller Street, Bethlehem |
| Telephone: | 058 303 5732 |
| Fax: | 058 303 4703 |
| Website: | www.dihlabeng.gov.za |
Corruption
In September 2024, the former municipal manager of the Dihlabeng Local Municipality, together with the former director of the municipal department of public works, infrastructure, and human settlements, were arrested for fraud by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team. The fraud related to the installation of diesel generators without following due processes, costing the municipality R611,000.
