Drakenstein Local Municipality is a Category B municipality that forms part of the Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B1 (secondary city) |
| Province: | Western Cape |
| District: | Cape Winelands |
| Municipal code: | WC023 |
| Seat: | Paarl |
| Number of wards: | 33 |
| Total area: | 1,538 km² (594 square miles) |
| Population: | 276,800 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Stephen Korabie |
About
Drakenstein Local Municipality is geographically situated in the southwestern region of the Cape Winelands District Municipality 60km east of the Cape Town central business district.
The municipality stretches from just south of the N1 freeway, including Simondium in the south, up to and including Saron in the north. The Klein Drakenstein, Limiet, and Saron Mountain Ranges form its eastern edge, and the agricultural areas immediately to the west of the R45 form its western border.
Drakenstein Local Municipality covers an area of 1,538 km² (594 square miles) and is the second-smallest local municipality in the Cape Winelands District.
It is divided into 33 wards.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Drakenstein Local Municipality is in Paarl.
Drakenstein Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Witzenberg Local Municipality to the northeast
- Breede Valley Local Municipality to the east
- Stellenbosch Local Municipality to the south
- City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality to the southwest
- Swartland Local Municipality in the West Coast District to the west
- Bergrivier Local Municipality in the West Coast District to the north
Wellington and Paarl are the main urban centres in Drakenstein Local Municipality, located close to the N1 in the south, with smaller rural settlements at Saron and Gouda in the north and Hermon in the mid-west.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Drakenstein Local Municipality has a population of 276,800 residents, compared to 280,195 in 2016, and 251,262 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.94%.
According to the 2022 Census, 22.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 70.5% is between 15 and 64, and 7.2% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 55.3% of the population in Drakenstein Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 26% as Black African, 16.8% as White, and 0.4% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 75% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 16.7% speak isiXhosa, 5.1% speak English, and 3.2% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Drakenstein Local Municipality are finance, insurance, real estate, business services, wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation, manufacturing, general government, transport, storage, and communication.
Municipal council and management
The Drakenstein municipal council is comprised of 65 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Thirty-three councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 33 wards, while the remaining 32 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 Democratic Alliance (DA) obtained a majority of 36 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – DA: 36 – ANC: 13 – GOOD: 4 – CDR: 3 – VF PLUS: 3 – ACDP: 1 – ALJAMA: 1 – EFF: 1 – ICOSA: 1 – PA: 1 – PAC: 1 |
| Controlling party | Democratic Alliance |
| Executive Mayor | Stephen Korabie |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Gert Combrink |
| Speaker | Koos le Roux |
| Chief Whip | Christephine Kearns |
| Other Council Members | – Derrick America (Corporate Services) – Rita Andreas (Communication and Intergovernmental Relations [IGR]) – Avron Appollis (Public Safety and Social Development) – Lorenzo Arendse (Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture [SRAC]) – Elizabeth Baron (Urbanisation and Human Settlements) – Lorraine Cyster (Parks, Resorts and Cemeteries) – Anré Koegelenberg (Waste, Roads, and Wastewater Management) – Johan Liebenberg (Planning, Economic Development and Tourism) – Johan Miller (Governance and Implementation Support) – Laurichia van Niekerk (Electricity and Water) |
| Municipal Manager | Dr Johan Leibbrandt |
| Chief Financial Officer | Bradley Brown |
| Senior Management | – David Delaney (Senior Manager: Planning Services) – Gerald Esau (Executive Director: Community Services) – Charles Geldenhuys (Senior Manager: Electro-Technical Services) – Seraj Johaar (Executive Director: Corporate Services) – Nthabiseng Keketsi (Senior Manager: Revenue and Expenditure) – Andre Kowalewski (Senior Manager: Water and Wastewater Services) – Cindy Lategan (Senior Manager: Budget Assets and Financial) – Harry Liedeman (Senior Manager: Streets, Storm Water and Traffic Engineering) – Nicola October (Senior Manager: Legal and Administration) – Phillip Pansegrouw (Senior Manager: Project Management) – Cheryl Phillips (Senior Manager: LED and Tourism) – Louis Pienaar (Executive Director: Engineering Services) – Faarieg Rhoda (Senior Manager: Housing) – Jaqueline Samson (Executive Director: Planning and Economic Development) – Thys Serfontein (Senior Manager: Solid Waste) – Frans Theron (Senior Manager: ICT) – Heinrich Vergotine (Senior Manager: Supply Chain Management) |
| Communications Officers | Riana Geldenhuys (Manager: Communication and Marketing) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Drakenstein Local Municipality.
- Gouda
- Paarl
- Saron
- Wellington
Contact details
The contact details of Drakenstein Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | PO Box 1, Paarl, 7620 |
| Physical address: | Bergriver Boulevard, Esterville, Paarl, 7622 |
| Telephone: | 021 807 4500 |
| Toll-free number: | 080 131 3553 |
| Fax: | 021 872 8054 |
| Email: | customercare@drakenstein.gov.za |
| Website: | www.drakenstein.gov.za |
