The Great Kei Local Municipality (GKM) is a Category B municipality located in the Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| District: | Amathole |
| Municipal code: | EC123 |
| Seat: | Komga |
| Number of wards: | 7 |
| Total area: | 1,700 km² (656 square miles) |
| Population: | 35,990 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Ngenisile Tekile |
About
The Great Kei Local Municipality is geographically located in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province, amidst the three former industrial towns of Gcuwa (formerly Butterworth), East London, and Qonce (formerly King William’s Town), stretching inland from the Indian Ocean coastline to the Kubusi River (a tributary of the Great Kei River).
The municipality is named after the Great Kei River. The name “Kei” is of Khoekhoe origin, meaning “sand”.
The Great Kei Local Municipality covers an area of 1,700 km² (656 square miles), making it the smallest of six local municipalities in the Amathole District.
The Great Kei Local Municipality comprises 7 wards, amalgamating previously different communities and municipal entities, including Komga, Cintsa East, Kei Mouth, Kwelera, Mooiplaas, and Haga Haga.
Below is a table showing the wards in the Great Kei Local Municipality and the areas that make them.
| Ward | Area |
|---|---|
| 1 | Morgans Bay, Haga-haga, Kei Mouth, Icwili, Gxarha, and Gugura farms |
| 2 | Mzwini, Ngxingxolo, Blue water, cefane, slatsha etc. |
| 3 | Diphini, Nyarha, Soto, Bola, Taiwan, Ncalukeni, Lusizini and Khayelitsha |
| 4 | Magrangxeni, mzwini, Mangqukela, Lusasa and Belekumntwana, Chicago |
| 5 | Morgans Bay, Haga-haga, and Kei Mouth, Icwili, Gxarha, and Gugura farms |
| 6 | Qumrha Town, & the Old Location |
| 7 | Siviwe Township, Peace Village, Zone10 & Draaibosch |
The Great Kei Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Mnquma Local Municipality to the north and east
- The Great Kei River to the east
- Amahlathi Local Municipality to the west and north
- Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality to the southwest
- The Indian Ocean coastline between Kwelera and Kei Mouth to the southeast
The Great Kei Local Municipality is also bordered by the Great Kei River on the northeast, which forms a natural barrier between the municipality and adjacent communal settlements of the former Transkei.
To the southwest, the Great Kei Local Municipality is bordered by the Kwelera and Gonubie Rivers, which geographically separate the municipality from the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
The Great Kei Local Municipality has a short section of coastline, which rises fairly abruptly through broken coastal terrain to a plateau around Komga.
Komga is the administrative headquarters/seat of the Great Kei Local Municipality and constitutes the centre of institutional and business services to the adjacent farm areas.
Other settlements comprise the Kei Mouth Resorts (Kei Mouth, Morgan Bay and Haga Haga), East Coast Resorts (Cefane, Cintsa East, Cintsa West, Glen Muir, etc), as well as the State Land settlements of Mooiplaas and Kwelera.
These settlements are distributed according to historical factors and are functional in terms of their predominantly outward linkages to the immediate farming and ‘aspirant metropolitan’ area.
Urban-oriented settlements, such as Mooiplaas and Kwelera, function primarily as residential areas for people working or seeking work in Buffalo City and surrounding areas.
The physical aspect of the municipality has an influence on its climatology, represented by the higher rainfall areas along the coastal strip with more arid conditions along the upper reaches of the Great Kei River and northern extent.
The forest reserves and moderately sub-tropical climate of the coastal area represent a significant and largely undeveloped tourist resource.
The Great Kei Municipality is primarily a tourist destination, though the film industry has also shown keen interest in the region. The municipality is also historically well known for its cultural heritage and agricultural sector.
The Great Kei Local Municipality is regionally accessed through the district via the N2 National Route from East London to Gcuwa (previously Butterworth), with a provincial main road connection between Komga and Stutterheim.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Great Kei Local Municipality has a population of 35,990 people, compared to 31,692 in 2016 and 30,832 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.5%.
According to the 2022 Census, 24.9% of the population is under the age of 15, 62.7% is between 15 and 64, and 12.3% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 91.3% of the population in Great Kei Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 7.1% as White, 1.3% as Coloured, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 88.8% of the population speaks isiXhosa as their first language, 7% speak English, 2.7% speak Afrikaans, and 1.5% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Great Kei Local Municipality are agriculture, tourism, and community services.
Municipal council and management
The Great Kei municipal council is comprised of 13 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 7 wards, while the remaining 6 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 9 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 9 – DA: 3 – EFF: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Ngenisile Tekile |
| Speaker | Ntombizanele Mgema |
| Chief Whip | Z Nzuzo |
| Other Council Members | – S Jacobs (EXCO Member) – S Pakamile (MPAC Chairperson) – Z Patuluko (EXCO Member) |
| Municipal Manager | Lawrence Mambila |
| Chief Financial Officer | Ayanda Lwana |
| Senior Management | – Bathini Douglas (Manager: Administration and Council Support) – P Godongwana (Manager: Community Services) – Luthando Juju (Manager: IDP and PMS) – Phindile Ludidi (Manager: ICT Co-ordinator) – M Mapasa (Manager: Infrastructure) – Nomaphelo Sana (Manager: Revenue, Budget and Reporting) – Thandazwa Sontshaka (Manager: Expenditure and Payroll) |
| Communications Officers | Akhona Shumane-Cakata |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Great Kei Local Municipality.
- Amatola Coastal
- Kei Mouth
- Komga
- Morgan Bay
Contact details
The contact details of the Great Kei Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X2, Komga, 4950 |
| Physical Address: | 17 Main Road, Komga, 4950 |
| Telephone: | 043 831 5700 |
| Fax: | 043 831 1029 |
| Email: | info@greatkeilm.gov.za |
| Website: | www.greatkeilm.gov.za |
