The Hantam Local Municipality is a Category B municipality within the Namakwa District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Northern Cape |
| District: | Namakwa |
| Municipal code: | NC065 |
| Seat: | Calvinia |
| Number of wards: | 7 |
| Total area: | 39,085 km² (15,091 square miles) |
| Population: | 22,281 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Lydia Lynette Olyn |
About
Hantam Local Municipality is geographically located in the southern region of the Northern Cape Province.
The municipality is named after the Hantam Mountains found in the area. Hantam is a Khoekhoe word that means “mountains where the bulbs grow”.
Hantam Local Municipality covers an area of 39,085 km² (15,091 square miles), making it the largest of six local municipalities in the Namakwa District, as it accounts for a third of its geographical area.
The municipality is divided into 7 wards.
Hantam Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Kai !Garib Local Municipality in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality to the north
- Khâi-Ma and Kamiesberg Local Municipalities to the west
- Matzikama and Cederberg Local Municipalities in the West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape Province to the west
- Witzenberg Local Municipality in the Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape Province to the south
- Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality to the east
- Kareeberg Local Municipality in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality and !Kheis Local Municipality in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality to the east
The administrative headquarters/seat of Hantam Local Municipality is in Calvinia, which is approximately 400 kilometres from Cape Town, Springbok, Upington, and Beaufort West.
Other towns in the municipality are: Loeriesfontein, Brandvlei, Middelpos, Swartkop, and Nieuwoudtville. About 70% of the population lives and works in the towns.
Very close to Calvinia, there is a tarred runway which is 1,250 metres long. It is used by many visitors to this beautiful part of the Northern Cape.
The Hantam Local Municipality is well known for its stunning mountain ranges, wide open spaces, and nature reserves filled with an incredible array of plants and bulbs that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The most popular tourist attractions in Hantam Local Municipality are the Calvinia Museum, Nieuwoudtville Waterfall, the giant Postbox, and Rieldans in the Karoo.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Hantam Local Municipality has a population of 22,281 people, compared to 21,540 in 2016 and 21,671 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.27%.
According to the 2022 Census, 25.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 65.3% is between 15 and 64, and 9.3% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 82.2% of the population in Hantam Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 12.1% as White, 4.4% as Black African, and 0.7% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 96.7% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 1.1% speak English, and 2.2% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sector of Hantam Local Municipality is farming, specifically, sheep, wool, lucerne as well as rooibos tea. Several government departments are also situated in Calvinia.
Municipal council and management
The Hantam municipal council comprises 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, no party obtained a majority of seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 6 – DA: 4 – NCM: 1 – PA: 1 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | Lydia Lynette Olyn |
| Speaker | Samenthia Gail Koopman |
| Chief Whip | Koos Alexander |
| Other Council Members | – A Claassen (Chairperson: Social Development) – H de Wee (Chairperson: Infrastructure) – L.L Olyn – Gert Vyver (Chairperson: MPAC) |
| Municipal Manager | Jan Isak Swartz |
| Chief Financial Officer | Werner Christoph Jonker |
| Senior Management | – C.M Adams (Head: Internal Auditing) – E de Wet (Divisional Head: Corporate Services) – B.A Leukes (Divisional Head: Town Planning) – Garth Mathys (Head: IDP /LED and PMS) – Denver Miller (Manager: Budget and Treasury Office) – W.M Steenkamp (Divisional Head: Library Services) – L.C.J van der Merwe (Senior Electrician) – R.C van Wyk (Divisional Head: Infrastructure) – Johan Riaan van Wyk (Senior Manager Technical and Community Services) |
| Communications Officers | – Garth Mathys – Riaan van Wyk (Information Officer [PAIA]) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Hantam Local Municipality.
- Brandvlei
- Calvinia
- Loeriesfontein
- Middelpos
- Nieuwoudtville
- Onderste Doorns
Contact details
The contact details of Hantam Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X14, Calvinia, 8190 |
| Physical Address: | 12 Hoop Street, Calvinia, 8190 |
| Telephone: | 027 341 8500 |
| Fax: | 027 341 8501 |
| Email: | – info@hantam.gov.za – complaints@hantam.gov.za |
| Website: | www.hantam.gov.za |
