The Greater Kokstad Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the western region of the Harry Gwala District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B2 (large town) |
| Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District: | Harry Gwala |
| Municipal code: | KZN433 |
| Seat: | Kokstad |
| Number of wards: | 10 |
| Total area: | 2,680 km² (1,035 square miles) |
| Population: | 81,676 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Marcus Nevelle Lwanda Madikizela |
About
The Greater Kokstad Local Municipality is geographically located in the western region of the Harry Gwala District Municipality.
The name, Kokstad, is derived from Dutch, meaning “town of Kok”. It was named after Adam Kok III, a leader of the Griqua people.
The Greater Kokstad Local Municipality comprises 10 wards and covers an area of 2,680 km² (1,035 square miles), making it the second-largest of four local municipalities in the Harry Gwala District.
The Greater Kokstad Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Local Municipality and Lesotho to the north
- uMzimkhulu Local Municipality to the east
- uMuziwabantu Local Municipality in the Ugu District Municipality to the southeast
- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Umzimvubu Local Municipalities in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province to the south
- Matatiele Local Municipality in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province to the west
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality is in Kokstad.
The town of Kokstad serves as the commercial hub and service centre for most of East Griqualand and nearby parts of the Eastern Cape Province, with which it shares borders.
The Greater Kokstad Local Municipality is traversed by the N2 National Route which connects Durban to East London and the KwaZulu-Natal Province to the Eastern Cape Province, as well as the R56 and R626.
The Greater Kokstad Municipality is strategically located along the N2 Development Corridor, linking the Municipal Area to the major economic nodes of Durban and Port Shepstone within the KwaZulu-Natal Province and Mbizana, Matatiele, Mount Ayliff, Mthatha, and Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape Province.
Based on the above, the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality has the advantage of strategically re-aligning the Harry Gwala District Municipality into an attractive and competitive investment destination and has the potential to become a major logistics hub and Development of Information Technology hub (as identified as a Digital Economy at the KZN SoPA 2020) player for the region.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality has a population of 81,676 people, compared to 76,753 in 2016 and 65,981 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.07%.
According to the 2022 Census, 28.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 68.1% is between 15 and 64, and 3.5% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 87.1% of the population in the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 8.2% as Coloured, 3.3% as White, and 1.1% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 70.5% of the population speaks isiXhosa as their first language, 8.8% speak English, 7.5% speak isiZulu, 6.9% speak Afrikaans, and 6.3% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality are agriculture, finance, manufacturing, trade, community services, electricity, and transport.
Municipal council and management
The Greater Kokstad municipal council is comprised of 19 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Ten councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 10 wards, while the remaining 9 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 12 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 12 – EFF: 4 – DA: 2 – AIC: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Marcus Nevelle Lwanda Madikizela |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Karen Walker |
| Speaker | Bhekokwakhe Trinity Nozaza |
| Chief Whip | Phumzile Nocanda |
| Other Council Members | n/a |
| Municipal Manager | Sipho Raynold Zwane |
| Chief Financial Officer | Wandisile Dotye |
| Senior Management | – Caroline James (Executive Manager: Community Social Services) – Asanda Jojo (Executive Manager: ITS) – Zuziwe Mbhele (Executive Manager: Corporate Services) – Canesia Vezi (Executive Manager: Economic Development and Spatial Planning) |
| Communications Officers | Zolani Siqway (Manager: Communications, IGR and Public Relations) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality.
- Franklin
- Kokstad
Contact details
The contact details of the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O Box 8, Kokstad, 4700 |
| Physical Address: | Adam Kok III Building, 75 Hope Street, Kokstad |
| Telephone: | 039 797 6600 |
| Fax: | 039 727 3676 / 039 797 6701 |
| Email: | gkmcommunications@kokstad.gov.za |
| Website: | www.kokstad.gov.za |
| Police: | 039 797 1133 |
| Hospital: | 039 797 8100 |
| Fire & Rescue: | 039 727 5733 |
| Anti-Fraud Hotline: | 010 593 0835 |
Mismanagement
In 2017, the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality started construction of a sports complex. By March 2024, R55 million had been spent, and the complex was still incomplete, with a further tender having been announced. The ratepayers association stated that the municipality had wasted the money, as it was being constructed in a wetland against the wishes and warnings of the community.
