The Greater Giyani Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the northern region of the Mopani District Municipality in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B4 (mostly rural) |
| Province: | Limpopo |
| District: | Mopani |
| Municipal code: | LIM331 |
| Seat: | Giyani |
| Number of wards: | 31 |
| Total area: | 4,172 km² (1,611 square miles) |
| Population: | 316,841 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Thandi Zitha |
About
The Greater Giyani Local Municipality was established in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996, the Municipality Demarcation Act of 1998, and Section 12 Notice issued in terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act of 1998.
The Greater Giyani Local Municipality is geographically located in the northern of the Mopani District Municipality.
The Greater Giyani Local Municipality covers an area of 4,172 km² (1,611 square miles) making it the second-largest local municipality in the Mopani District.
The municipality is divided into 31 wards. It has 10 traditional authority areas comprising 91 villages.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Greater Giyani Local Municipality is in Giyani.
The town of Giyani was established in 1969 and is regarded as the ‘place where the people dance and the land of the friendly people’.
Giyani town is the administrative and commercial centre of the Mopani District and also the former capital of Gazankulu.
Giyani is located approximately 185 kilometres from Polokwane (previously Pietersburg), 100 kilometres from Thohoyandou, and 550 kilometres from Pretoria.
Giyani Town is the largest and most densely populated centre, featuring the most employment opportunities, as well as the best shopping and recreational facilities. The labour force consists of skilled, semi-skilled and a large percentage of unskilled people.
The Greater Giyani Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality to the east and south
- Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality to the southwest
- Greater Letaba Local Municipality to the west
- Collins Chabane Local Municipality in the Vhembe District Municipality to the north
The municipality’s eastern region section borders on the world-famous Kruger National Park.
Public transport in the municipality comprises of busses as well as mini-busses. These modes of transport serve the municipality’s population for long and short-distance travel.
Giyani Town has one main taxi rank (Giyani Taxi Rank) next to Masingita Mall as well as three smaller taxi ranks (Molototsi Taxi Rank, Giyani Spar Taxi Rank as well as Malamulele Taxi Rank).
The Greater Giyani Local Municipality is served by one radio station, Munghana Lonene FM, an SABC radio station broadcasting in Xitsonga language. The municipality is also served by a local newspaper, the Giyani View.
The municipality has numerous retail shops with some found in Masingita Mall, the only mall in Greater Giyani. The mall has various retail shops in it including restaurants and a cinema. First National Bank as well as Capitec Bank are situated inside the mall.
There is Masingita Complex on R81 with numerous shops as well as three banks (Standard Bank, ABSA Bank, and Nedbank).
There is also Spar Complex with a few retail shops as well. A few villages like Ga-Phaphadi also have retail shops like Pep Store.
The main tourist attractions of the municipality are; the Giyani Central Business District, Manombe Nature Reserve, Mbaula Ranch, Nsami Dam, Middle Letaba Dam, Thomo Village, the Baobab Tree, Ritavi River, and Baleni Camp which was declared a heritage site.
Culture of Giyani
Giyani is also rich in cultural history, with royal families dating back as far as 1822.
Most residents of Giyani speak Xitsonga as their first language. The Tsonga women perform the xibelani dance’ and called the dance Xigaza, the men enjoy mpuluto and makhwaya. The Tsonga people also engage in a custom dance called mchongolo.
Xibelani is an African skirt designed to make the wearer’s hips look bigger so that the hip movement during the xibelani dance can be more apparent.
The Tsonga people have their own distinct music when the xibelani dance is performed. The staple diet in Giyani is maize porridge (vuswa or pap in Afrikaans and rice often eaten with meat, chicken, and vegetables (matsavu).
“Giyani” is one of the tracks on the album “Third World Child” by Johnny Clegg and his band Savuka.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Greater Giyani Local Municipality has a population of 316,841 people, compared to 256,127 in 2016, and 242,986 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.58%.
According to the 2022 Census, 35.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 58.3% is between 15 and 64, and 6.4% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 99.5% of the population in the Greater Giyani Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.3% as Indian/Asian, 0.1% as Coloured, and 0.1% as White.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 87.8% of the population speaks Xitsonga as their first language, 3.8% speak Sepedi, 2.6% speak Sesotho, and 2.8% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Greater Giyani Local Municipality are tourism, agriculture, transport, and retail.
Municipal council and management
The Greater Giyani municipal council is comprised of 62 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Thirty-one councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 31 wards, while the remaining 31 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 47 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 47 – EFF: 5 – APC: 2 – INDEPENDENT: 2 – DA: 1 – F4SD: 1 – MIM: 1 – NIP: 1 – PA: 1 – XP: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Thandi Zitha |
| Speaker | Mboweni Agrey Ernest |
| Chief Whip | Makondo Thomas |
| Other Council Members | – Baloyi Cedrick (Planning and Economic Development) – PS Mabulana (Exco Member: Office of the Mayor) – Thamsanqa Japhta Justice Mabunda (Infrastructure Development) – TJJ Mabunda (Infrastructure Development) – Gezani Abby Maluleke (Water, Sanitation, and Energy) – Tintswalo Constance Manganyi (Health and Social Development) – Masenyani Richard Mashale (Public Roads and Transport) – Nkhensani Harmony Pretty Ndaba (Finance) – Basambilu Reginah Nghunyule (Corporate and Shared Services) – Reginah Ntsako Sekgobela (Exco Member) – Thandazo Christinah Zitha (Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture) |
| Municipal Manager | Khoza Vusi Duncan |
| Chief Financial Officer | Fidium Nkuna |
| Senior Management | – RT Chabalala (Acting Director: Community Services) – RH Mashamba (Director: Technical Services) – MF Rapelego (Acting Director: Corporate Services) – KV Sithole (Director: Planning and Local Economic Development) |
| Communications Officers | SS Mavunda |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Greater Giyani Local Municipality.
- Giyani
- Ga-Phaphadi
- Ngove Village
Townships
Giyani Town consists of five townships namely;
- Section A: it was the first township of Giyani which was established in 1979. It currently consists of the Parliament which currently has several departments in it (e.g. SARS) as well as the Mopani District Municipality. The Police Station, Home Affairs, Traffic Department, SASSA as well as Nkhensani Hospital are all situated in Section A.
- Sections D1 and D2: these are very quiet townships. Risenga High School is situated in D2 which has a history of Gazankulu.
- Section E: it is a well-developed township that comprises of middle working class. It is a very big township with various activities.
- Section F: it was the last established township of Giyani. It also has a lot of business opportunities with shops such as Usave, BP Garage, and The Water guys.
- Krememart: it is situated at the beginning of Giyani CBD. It consists of the upper middle class of Giyani Town.
Sports
There are twelve public sports facilities in the municipality
- Giyani Stadium
- TP Khuvutlo
- Section E
- Homu
- Gawula
- Shawela
- Ndhambi
- Mzilela
- Khani
- Mavhuza
- Xivulani
- Muyexe
Health
There are two hospitals in the municipality, Nkhensani Hospital and Evuxakeni Psychiatric Hospital.
The municipality has 27 community health clinics namely;
- Giyani health centre
- Gateway
- Kremetart
- Ndengeza
- Msengi
- Noblehoek
- Hlaneki
- Thomo
- Nkuri
- Shivulani
- Muyexe
- Mhlava
- Mapayeni
- Ngove
- Nkomo
- Xikhumba
- Makhuva
- Kheyi
- Loloka
- Xitlakati
- Zaba
- Dzumeri
- Khakhala
- N’wamankena
- Skhiming
- Bochabelo
- Matsotsosela
Contact details
The contact details of the Greater Giyani Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X9559, Giyani, 0826 |
| Physical Address: | Main Road BA 59, Civic Centre, Opposite Old Nkhensani Hospital, Giyani, 0826 |
| Telephone: | 015 811 5500 |
| Fax: | 015 812 2068 |
| Website: | www.greatergiyani.gov.za |
