The Lejweleputswa District Municipality (LDM) is a Category C municipality situated in the northwestern region of the Free State province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | District (Category C) |
| Province: | Free State |
| Municipal code: | DC18 |
| Seat: | Welkom |
| Local municipalities: | 5 |
| Total area: | 32,287 km² (12,466 square miles) |
| Population: | 679,746 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Veronica Ntakumbana |
About
The Lejweleputswa District Municipality is geographically situated in the northwestern part of the Free State province.
The District was formed in 2000, its headquarters/seat is in Welkom.
Lejweleputswa is a Sesotho word meaning ‘grey rock’, it describes the area with a rich history in gold prospecting and mining.
The Lejweleputswa district is rich in gold deposits and lies at the heart of the province’s goldfields. The Free State Goldfields were discovered in the early 1940s after a borehole sunk for water found gold ore lava instead.
The Lejweleputswa District Municipality covers an area of 32,287 km² (12,466 square miles), making up almost a third of the province’s area.
The District is divided into five local municipalities, namely;
- Masilonyana Local Municipality
- Matjhabeng Local Municipality
- Nala Local Municipality
- Tokologo Local Municipality
- Tswelopele Local Municipality
The Lejweleputswa District Municipality is bordered by the following Municipalities:
- Fezile Dabi District Municipality to the east and northeast
- Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality to the southeast
- Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality to the south
- Xhariep District Municipality to the southwest
- Frances Baard District Municipality in the Northern Cape to the west
- Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality in the North West to the northwest
- Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North West to the north
The District has a rich political history, it is home to the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela House, where she was sentenced to House Arrest by the apartheid regime for approximately nine years (1977-1986).
The District is also a major maize and sunflower producer.
Lejweleputswa District Municipality is accessible from Klerksdorp, Kimberley, Johannesburg, and Cape Town along the N1, one of South Africa’s main national routes.
Map
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Lejweleputswa District Municipality has a population of 679,746 residents, compared to 646,920 in 2016 and 624,746 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.82%.
According to the 2022 Census, 27.5% of the population is under the age of 15, 65.9% is between 15 and 64, and 6.6% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 88.9% of the Lejweleputswa District Municipality population describe themselves as Black African, 8.6% as White, 1.9% as Coloured, and 0.49% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 62.2% of the population speaks Sesotho as their first language, 12.2% speak isiXhosa, 11.3% speak Afrikaans, 5.9% speak Setswana, and 8.4% speak other languages.
Economy
The district’s main economic sectors are mining, trade, transport, construction, and electricity.
District council and management
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 9 – DA: 3 – EFF: 2 – ISANCO: 1 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling Party | n/a |
| Executive Mayor | Veronica Ntakumbana |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | N.S Leeto |
| Chief Whip | Johannes Meli |
| Other Council Members | – Sipho Tsunke (MMC: Municipal Health Services and Disaster Management) – Victoria van Rooyen (MMC: PMS, IDP Policy Development and Monitoring) |
| Municipal Manager | Motlatsi Lesley Makhetha (Acting) |
| Chief Financial Officer | Kevin Khoabane |
| Senior Management | – Mzonakele Baleni (Infrastructure) – Bulelwa Kabi (Community Service and Special Programme) – Dora Kotzee (Finance) – B Malapane (Acting Executive Manager: Corporate Services) – MJ Meli (LED, Agriculture, and Tourism) – C Pietersen (Manager: Legal Services) – Lucy Tlhone (Fire Fighting) |
| Communications Officers | Khaya Mqeke |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
- Allanridge
- Boshof
- Bothaville
- Brandfort
- Bultfontein
- Dealesville
- Hennenman
- Hertzogville
- Hoopstad
- Odendaalsrus
- Soutpan
- Theunissen
- Ventersburg
- Verkeerdevlei
- Virginia
- Welkom
- Wesselsbron
- Winburg
Contact details
The contact details of the Lejweleputswa District Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | PO Box 2163, Welkom, 9460 |
| Physical address: | Jan Hofmeyer and Tempest Street, Welkom |
| Telephone: | 057 353 3094 |
| Fax: | 057 353 3382 |
