The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the southeastern region of 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: | NC066 |
| Seat: | Williston |
| Number of wards: | 6 |
| Total area: | 30,230 km² (11,672 square miles) |
| Population: | 11,691 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | AS Mietas |
About
The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality was established in 2001 by amalgamating Williston, Sutherland, and Fraserburg.
Hoogland is an Afrikaans word meaning “highland”, and Karoo is a Khoekhoe word meaning “hard” or “dry”. The name reflects the area which has dry, arid and desert-like conditions.
The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality is geographically located in the southeastern region of the Namakwa District Municipality.
The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality covers an area of 30,230 km² (11,672 square miles), making it the second-largest of six local municipalities in the Namakwa District, as it accounts for a quarter of its geographical area.
The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Hantam Local Municipality to the west and north
- Kareeberg Local Municipality in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality to the north and northeast
- Ubuntu Local Municipality in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality to the east
- Beaufort West Local Municipality in the Central Karoo District Municipality in the Western Cape to the east
- Laingsburg Local Municipality in the Central Karoo District Municipality in the Western Cape to the southeast and south
- Witzenberg Local Municipality in the Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape to the south and southwest
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality is in Williston.
The municipality incorporates the towns of Williston, Sutherland, Fraserburg, and surrounding rural areas. Although the towns are separated by more than 100 kilometres by road, they share many administrative tasks.
The municipality’s three main towns, Williston, Sutherland, and Fraserburg, are respectively 499 kilometres, 539 kilometres, and 592 kilometres from Springbok, where the Namakwa District Municipality’s headquarters are located.
The municipality is divided into 6 wards listed below.
- Ward 1 – A part of Williston
- Ward 2 – Fraserburg
- Ward 3 – Rural Surrounding Areas of the towns of Williston and Fraserburg
- Ward 4 – Sutherland
- Ward 5 – A part of Williston
- Ward 6 – Rural Surrounding Areas of Sutherland and a part of Sutherland
After the Section 12 notice was placed on 25 October 2021, the municipality now has a collective executive system with a ward participatory system.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality has a population of 11,691 people, compared to 13,009 in 2016 and 12,514 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of -0.66%.
According to the 2022 Census, 25.5% of the population is under the age of 15, 64.8% is between 15 and 64, and 9.7% is over 65.
The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality has experienced a population decline in the past decade, which is largely attributed to push factors such as limited economic opportunities in the area and better economic opportunities in neighboring municipalities.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 78.9% of the population in Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 14.6% as White, 5.5% as Black African, and 0.7% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 96.3% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 1.3% speak English, and 2.4% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality are agriculture, community, social and personal services, transport, storage, communication, wholesale and retail trade, catering, accommodation, forestry, fishing, finance, insurance, real estate, business services, and manufacturing.
Municipal council and management
The Karoo Hoogland municipal council comprises 11 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 6 wards, while the remaining 5 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: 5 – DA: 3 – PA: 2 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | A.S Mietas |
| Speaker | V.T Opperman |
| Chief Whip | M.J Chadow |
| Other Council Members | – R VDM Geel (Proportional Councillor) – S.A Muller (Ward 4) – E.C Oliphant (District Representative, Ward 6) – V.T Opperman (Ward 2) – C.G Steenkamp (Ward 5) – A.E Steenkamp (Ward 1) – J.J van der Colff (Ward 3) – V.C Wentzel (Proportional Councillor) |
| Municipal Manager | Johannes Jonkers |
| Chief Financial Officer | Sarel Myburgh |
| Senior Management | – F.J Lotter (Director: Infrastructure) – D.M Malan (Manager: HR) |
| Communications Officers | C Viljoen (Manager: Administration) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality.
- Fraserburg
- Sutherland
- Williston
Contact details
The contact details of the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 165, Williston, 8920 |
| Physical Address: | 2 Mulder Street, Williston, 8920 |
| Telephone: | 053 285 0998 |
| Email: | info@karoohoogland.gov.za |
| Website: | www.karoohoogland.gov.za |
