The Gamagara Local Municipality is a Category B municipality within the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality in the northeastern region of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Northern Cape |
| District: | John Taolo Gaetsewe |
| Municipal code: | NC453 |
| Seat: | Kathu |
| Number of wards: | 8 |
| Total area: | 2,648 km² (1,022 square miles) |
| Population: | 29,580 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Henriette du Plessis |
About
The Gamagara Local Municipality is geographically located in the southern region of the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, on the N14 National Road between Upington and Vryburg. The municipality lies approximately 200 kilometres northeast of Upington and 280 kilometres northwest of Kimberley.
The municipality is named after a dry river, which was in turn named after a man called Mogara of the Makwere clan (Batlhaping). During the early days of exploration, Mogara was the first person to settle in this part of the country. After 1887, the area became dominated by White farmers who then changed the name as they were unable to pronounce it correctly. Hence, it was called Gamagara instead of Gamogara.
The dry river that ran from Dibeng to join the Kuruman (Segonyana) river at Dikgatlong tsa ga Kganyile. Incidentally, this is the route the Ba ga Motlhware followed on their way to their headquarters, Maje a Mokhothu (Langeberg).
Gamagara Local Municipality comprises 8 wards and covers an area of 2,648 km² (1,022 square miles), making it the smallest of three local municipalities in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District, as it accounts for 10% of its geographical area.
The Gamagara Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Joe Morolong Local Municipality to the north
- Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality to the northeast and east
- The Tsantsabane Local Municipality in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality to the south and west
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Gamagara Local Municipality is in Kathu.
The Gamagara Municipality is home to Kathu Forest, an endemic camel thorn tree forest that enjoys a National Heritage status and gave the town of Kathu its name.
Gamagara Local Municipality is also home to the largest single pit, open-cast iron ore mine in the world, and is the starting point of the Sishen–Saldanha railway line.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Gamagara Local Municipality has a population of 29,580 people, compared to 53,656 in 2016 and 41,617 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of -3.31%.
According to the 2022 Census, 24.5% of the population is under the age of 15, 71.4% is between 15 and 64, and 4.1% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 55% of the population in the Gamagara Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 28.7% as Coloured, 14% as White, and 0.6% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 53.9% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 33.7% speak Setswana, 3.6% speak English, 1.4% speak Sesotho, and 7.4% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Gamagara Local Municipality are game farming, mining, and business services.
Municipal council and management
The Gamagara municipal council comprises 15 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Eight councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 8 wards, while the remaining 7 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, no party obtained a majority of seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | ANC 7, DA 5, GCF 2, EFF 1 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | Henriette du Plessis |
| Speaker | Goitseone Sekgopi |
| Chief Whip | n/a |
| Other Council Members | – Abel Booysen (Chairperson: MPAC) – Boitumelo Lekgadi (Chairperson: Finance Portfolio) – Neo Magagane (Chairperson: Corporate Services Portfolio) – Anna Joyce Morwe (Chairperson: Community Services Portfolio) – Frikkie Nqume (Chairperson: Technical Services) – Monica Orpen (Chairperson: Strategic Services Portfolio) |
| Municipal Manager | Lebogang Seetile |
| Chief Financial Officer | Ndabayithetwa Moses Grond (Director) |
| Senior Management | – George Loeto (Acting Director: Community Services) – Boikanyo Modise (Manager: LED) – Kagiso Ositang (Director: Technical Services) – Thato Rapelang (Director: Development and Town Planning) – Lebogang Seetile (Director: Corporate Services) |
| Communications Officers | Kamogelo Semamai |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Gamagara Local Municipality.
- Deben
- Dibeng
- Dingleton
- Kathu
- Olifantshoek
Contact details
The contact details of the Gamagara Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 1001, Kathu, 8446 |
| Physical Address: | Civic Centre, Cnr of Hendrick van Eck and Frikkie Meyer Road, Kathu |
| Telephone: | 053 723 6000 |
| Fax: | 053 723 2021 |
