The Kai !Garib Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the southwestern region of the ZF Mgcawu 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: | ZF Mgcawu |
| Municipal code: | NC082 |
| Seat: | Kakamas |
| Number of wards: | 10 |
| Total area: | 26,377 km² (10,184 square miles) |
| Population: | 85,104 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | M.M.M. Matthys |
About
The Kai !Garib Local Municipality is geographically located in the southwestern region of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality.
The municipality is named after the Orange River that flows through the area. The name Kai ǃGarib originates from the Khoekhoe language and means “big great river”.
The Kai !Garib Local Municipality covers an area of 26,377 km² (10,184 square miles), making it the second-largest of five local municipalities in the ZF Mgcawu District, as it accounts for a quarter of its geographical area.
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Kai !Garib Local Municipality is in Kakamas.
The municipality is divided into 10 wards.
The Kai !Garib Local Municipality is bordered by:
- The !Kheis Local Municipality to the east
- The Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality to the north
- The Republic of Namibia to the northwest
- Khâi-Ma Local Municipality in the Namakwa District Municipality to the west and southwest
- Hantam Local Municipality in the Namakwa District Municipality to the south
The Kai !Garib Local Municipality is a beautiful area situated amid a unique landscape characterized by contrast between semi-desert with plains and wavy hills along the Orange River.
The Orange River is not only the live vain of Kai !Garib Local Municipality, but also boasts one of the most beautiful waterfalls, namely the Augrabies Falls.
The rich cultures in Kai !Garib Local Municipality include the so-called ‘coloureds’ who descend from the original Khoi-khoi and Korannas, the Namas situated in Riemvasmaak and surrounding areas, the Xhosas, especially from Vredesvallei, as well as the White Afrikaners, mainly concentrated in the municipality’s big towns and on commercial farms.
All these cultures have adapted to the natural environment and formed traditions significant to them in the fight for survival through the years. These include language, food, dances, oral traditions, etc.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Kai !Garib Local Municipality has a population of 85,104 people, compared to 68,929 in 2016 and 65,869 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.49%.
According to the 2022 Census, 25% of the population is under the age of 15, 69.3% is between 15 and 64, and 5.7% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 62.2% of the population in the Kai !Garib Local Municipality describes itself as Coloured, 28.3% as Black African, 6.3% as White, and 0.8% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 71.9% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 24.2% speak Setswana, 1.2% speak English, and 2.7% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Kai !Garib Local Municipality are agriculture, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, finance, community, and government services.
Municipal council and management
The Kai !Garib 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 10 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 10 – HFTF: 4 – DA: 3 – EFF: 1 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | M.M.M. Matthys |
| Speaker | E Vass |
| Chief Whip | VWW Sacco |
| Other Council Members | – M Basson (Portfolio Head: Municipal Public Account Committee) – A Prestly (Exco) – R Saal (Portfolio Head: Institutional Development Committee) – Y Scheffers (Portfolio Head: Socio-Economic Development Committee) – L Tieties (Portfolio Head: Infrastructure Development Committee) |
| Municipal Manager | Obakeng Isaacs |
| Chief Financial Officer | Antheniqe Beukes |
| Senior Management | Adv RS Neethling |
| Communications Officers | Benedict Bok |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Kai !Garib Local Municipality.
- Augrabies
- Eksteenskuil
- Kakamas
- Keimoes
- Kenhardt
- Marchand
- Nakop
- Riemvasmaak
Contact details
The contact details of the Kai !Garib Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X6, Kakamas, 8870 |
| Physical Address: | 11th Avenue 9, Kakamas, 8870 |
| Telephone: | – 054 461 6700 – 054 431 6300 |
| WhatsApp: | 079 873 3767 |
| Fax: | 054 467 6401 |
| Email: | admin@kaigarib.gov.za |
| Website: | www.kaigarib.gov.za |
