The Joe Gqabi District Municipality (JGDM), previously known as Ukhahlamba District Municipality, is a Category C municipality situated in the northern part of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Joe Gqabi District Municipality
| Type of municipality: | District (Category C) |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| Municipal code: | DC14 |
| Seat: | Barkly East |
| Local municipalities: | 3 |
| Total area: | 25,617 km² (9,891 square miles) |
| Population: | 393,048 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | N.P. Mposelwa |
About
The Joe Gqabi District Municipality is geographically situated in the northern region of the Eastern Cape province.
It was previously known as the Ukhahlamba District Municipality, but its name was changed in recognition of the late Joe Nzingo Gqabi (born in 1929 in Aliwal North and assassinated in 1981 by the South African Defence Force in Harare, Zimbabwe), an African National Congress activist who was a journalist for the New Age, and a member of the Umkhonto we Sizwe.
The district lies approximately 34 kilometres north of Komani and about 200 kilometres south of Bloemfontein on the N6 route.
Its northern border is formed by the Orange River, which also forms the southern boundary of the Free State province.
The Joe Gqabi District Municipality covers an area of 25,617 km² (9,891 square miles), and its headquarters/seat of the district is in Barkly East.
The district is divided into three local municipalities, namely;
The Joe Gqabi District Municipality is bordered by the District Municipalities Chris Hani to the south, OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo to the east, the country of Lesotho and Free State’s Xhariep District Municipality to the north, and Northern Cape‘s Pixley ka Seme District Municipality to the west.
Maletswai (previously known as Aliwal North) is the main commercial and tourism centre. It is also the birth and burial place of Joe Nzingo Gqabi.
Map
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Joe Gqabi District Municipality has a population of 393,048 residents, compared to 372,912 in 2016 and 348,673 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.16%.
According to the 2022 Census, 30.3% of the population is under the age of 15, 61% is between 15 and 64, and 8.6% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 93.8% of the Joe Gqabi District Municipality population describe themselves as Black African, 3.5% as Coloured, 2.4% as White, and 0.2% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 70.5% of the population speaks isiXhosa as their first language, 20.2% speak Sesotho, 5.9% speak Afrikaans, 1.6% speak English, and 1.8% speak other languages.
Economy
The district’s main economic sectors are community services (55%), finance (12.6%), trade (9.7%), manufacturing (9.6%), and agriculture (6.2%).
District council and management
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 8 – DA: 1 – EFF: 1 |
| Controlling Party | n/a |
| Executive Mayor | N.P. Mposelwa |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | M Bomela |
| Chief Whip | S.E Ntsoelinyane |
| Other Council Members | – NU Hlathuka – NR Lengs – D Lusawana (Water Service Provision Manager) – N Mabunu – S Mei – SG Moroahhae – N Ngendane – A Skoti – AM van Zyl |
| Municipal Manager | M Nonjola (Acting) |
| Chief Financial Officer | Sulene du Toit |
| Senior Management | – Robert Fortuin (Director: Technical Services) – Adv Harry Jantjie (Director: Corporate Services) – Nandipha Mshumi (Chief Operations Officer) – Fiona Sephton (Director: Community Services) |
| Communications Officers | Mandla Gceya (Communications and Intergovernmental Relations) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality.
- Barkly East
- Burgersdorp
- Jamestown
- Lady Grey
- Maclear
- Maletswai (previously known as Aliwal North)
- Mount Fletcher
- Oviston
- Rhodes
- Rossouw
- Sterkspruit
- Steynsburg
- Ugie
- Venterstad
Contact details
The contact details of the Joe Gqabi District Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | Private Bag X102, Barkly East, 9786 |
| Physical address: | cnr Cole & Graham Street, Barkly East |
| Telephone: | 045 979 3000 |
| Fax: | 045 971 0251 |
| Email: | info@jgdm.gov.za |
| Website: | www.jgdm.gov.za |
