Emalahleni Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the northeastern region of the Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B4 (mostly rural) |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| District: | Chris Hani |
| Municipal code: | EC136 |
| Seat: | Cacadu (previously known as Lady Frere) |
| Number of wards: | 17 |
| Total area: | 3,484 km² (1,345 square miles) |
| Population: | 128,873 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Nontombizane Flowerdale Koni |
About
The Emalahleni Local Municipality was formed in December 2000 after the first Local Government elections by merging three Transitional Local Councils (TLCs), namely, Indwe, Dordrecht, and Lady Frere (Cacadu).
The name Emalahleni is an isiXhosa word meaning “a place of coal”.
The Emalahleni Local Municipality is geographically located in the northeastern region of the Chris Hani District Municipality.
Emalahleni Local Municipality comprises 17 wards and covers an area of 3,484 km² (1,345 square miles), making it the third-largest of six local municipalities in the Chris Hani District.
Emalahleni Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality to the west and south
- Intsika Yethu Local Municipality to the southeast
- Sakhisizwe Local Municipality to the east
- Senqu and Walter Sisulu Local Municipalities in the Joe Gqabi District to the north
The Emalahleni comprises three main towns, namely Cacadu (formerly Lady Frere), Dordrecht, and Indwe, and the surrounding villages of Lady Frere. Dordrecht and Indwe further comprise urban locations and farms.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Emalahleni Local Municipality is in Cacadu (previously known as Lady Frere).
The Emalahleni Municipality also comprises three rural towns, with more than 200 villages. This consists of private farms in the northern region of the municipality, North of Indwe, and south of Dordrecht. The settlement pattern is that of dispersed private farms, where commercial farming is carried out.
The rest of the municipality was previously part of the former Transkei. The settlement pattern in this part of the Emalahleni Municipality is predominantly of the dispersed “traditional’’ rural village settlement type, where low-level subsistence-farming, traditional livestock farming, producing enough maize for personal use, and sorghum production, which is formalised and produced for the market are the dominant forms of land use activity, apart from the residential function of these areas.
Wool production is also one of the upcoming sources of income in the area for the emerging communal farmers.
The quality of life in the rural villages is poor, marked by high poverty levels and a lack of access to amenities and services. Unemployment is excessive, and most households depend on social grants and money from family members working elsewhere.
It is important to note that the spatially fragmented settlement pattern of the study area results from different political and historical factors, as well as administrative and ideology-based development initiatives implemented in the area over the last century.
Tribal Authorities
The former Transkei area of Emalahleni Municipality was administered by the Emigrant Tembuland Regional Authority, with its seat at Qamata, and the Magisterial District of Cacadu, with its seat in Lady Frere, as well as the following tribal authorities, with their seats:
- Gcina (Glen Adelaide)
- Hala (Mbizane)
- Mhlontlo (Maqhashu)
- Nonesi (Matyantya)
Historically, these independent homeland areas were viewed as critical productive areas in the South African economic space.
Tourism
Emalahleni Local Municipal area is rich in tourism and heritage, as there are natural landscapes, modified and newly established places in this area that are of interest to tourists and explorers. The heritage of this area encompasses the diversity in culture, with cultural patterns of the people living in this area, if showcased, can attract people from afar due to the uniqueness it represents.
The areas that have been identified with potential for tourism development include, but are not limited to:
- Aqua sport linked to existing Dams (Xonxa & Lubisi)
- Cultural tourism linked to the Liberation and Heritage Route
- Craft produce
- Rock art promotion and beneficiation
- Museum – Dordrecht
Currently, there are a limited number of tourist attractions within the area, such as the Nonesi Cultural Village in Cacadu, the Indwe Resort with accommodation facilities, and the Kloof (A viewing point) in Dordrecht. There are areas where Bushmen paintings exist that have the potential to be developed into tourist attractions. Trout fishing trails and mountain bike races have also become recent tourist attractions. The Dordrecht Festival and the Lady Frere Annual Cultural Games have the potential to be developed into a tourism attraction.
Heritage Resources
| Site Name | Significance | Conservation Status | Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Marks Mission on White Kei | Still a functional mission church. Also, the last habitation of Madolo, a San Chief – 1860 | Well looked after | Church |
| Macubeni Coal Mine near Indwe | Still a functional mission church. Also the last habitation of Madolo, a San Chief – 1860 | ||
| Glen Grey Falls near Lady Frere | A beautiful natural site | ||
| The Kloof near Dordrecht | Natural site with some unique flora | Degraded due to plundering for firewood | |
| Cacadu River at Lady Frere | |||
| Churches in Lady Frere | Two examples of 19th-century Churches | Well looked after | Church |
| Anderson Museum at Dordrecht | |||
| Victorian Buildings at Dordrecht | Architectural example | Municipality / Private | |
| Burgher Statue at Dordrecht | |||
| San Rock Art at Dordrecht | Well kept | Private | |
| Methodist Church at Dordrecht | Architectural example | Church | |
| Doring river Dam at Indwe | Leisure area | Could be better utilized | DWAF |
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Emalahleni Local Municipality has a population of 128,873 people, compared to 124,532 in 2016 and 120,758 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.63%.
According to the 2022 Census, 30.6% of the population is under the age of 15, 57.6% is between 15 and 64, and 11.8% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 98.5% of the population in Emalahleni Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.6% as White, 0.6% as Coloured, and 0.1% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 95.2% of the population speaks isiXhosa as their first language, 1.5% speak English, 1.2% speak Afrikaans, and 2.1% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Emalahleni Local Municipality are government and services.
Municipal council and management
The Emalahleni municipal council is comprised of 34 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Seventeen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 17 wards, while the remaining 17 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 28 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 28 – DA: 2 – EFF: 2 – ISANCO: 1 – UDM: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Nontombizane Flowerdale Koni |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | Ncedisa Mtyobile |
| Chief Whip | Xoliseka Bathandwa Lali |
| Other Council Members | – Zola Bebeza (Portfolio Head: Community Services) – Sanele Kowa (Portfolio Head: Budget and Treasury Office) – Sonwabise Nyukwana (Portfolio Head: Corporate Services) – Mzuvukile Tom (Portfolio Head: Planning, Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture) |
| Municipal Manager | Pumla Makoma |
| Chief Financial Officer | n/a |
| Senior Management | – M Gatyeni (Director: Community Services) – Mothusi Lihlehla (Director: Infrastructure Development and Human Settlement) – Nkululo Mntuyedwa (Director: IPED) |
| Communications Officers | Luthando Nqumkana |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Emalahleni Local Municipality.
- Cacadu (Lady Frere)
- Dordrecht
- Indwe
Contact details
The contact details of Emalahleni Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X1161, Cacadu, 5410 |
| Physical Address: | 37 Indwe Road, Cacadu |
| Telephone: | 087 808 0905 |
| Fax: | 047 878 0303 |
| Email: | communications@emalahlenilm.gov.za |
| Website: | www.emalahlenilm.gov.za |
