The Mafube Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the eastern region of the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Free State |
| District: | Fezile Dabi |
| Municipal code: | FS205 |
| Seat: | Frankfort |
| Number of wards: | 9 |
| Total area: | 3,971 km² (1,533 square miles) |
| Population: | 61,150 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Jabulani Sigasa |
About
Mafube Local Municipality is geographically located in the eastern region of the Fezile Dabi District Municipality.
The municipality is situated in the northeastern Free State, about an hour’s drive from Vereeniging and a further half an hour from Johannesburg on the N3 route to Durban.
The name ‘Mafube’ is a Sesotho word meaning “dawning of the new day”.
Mafube Local Municipality covers an area of 3,971 km² (1,533 square miles), making it the second-smallest local municipality in the Fezile Dabi District as it accounts for almost a quarter of its geographical area.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Mafube Local Municipality is in Frankfort.
The municipality is divided into 9 wards.
Mafube Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Metsimaholo and Ngwathe Local Municipalities to the west
- Nketoana Local Municipality in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality to the south
- Phumelela Local Municipality in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality to the east
- Lekwa and Dipaleseng Local Municipalities in the Gert Sibande District Municipality in the Mpumalanga Province to the north
Mafube is part of the Riemland region. The name Riemland comes from the fact that, when first settled, the area was home to huge herds of game and the locals earned a reputation for curing and making leather, a riem being a strip of leather. Translated the word Mafube means: Just before sunrise – where the sun rises.
Mafube is well known for its tourism. Boating, fishing, and swimming provide endless opportunities for relaxation. From extraordinary Quad-rides to ripping through the wake of a powerful motorboat on a pair of skis – Mafube accommodates it all.
In the early 1800s the Basotho king, King Ntsuanatsatse lived at Tafelkop. That is why Mafube is predominantly Sotho-speaking.
The Mafube municipal area comprises the rural towns of Cornelia, Frankfort, Tweeling, and Villiers – each with its own character. They serve small, yet viable communities and prosperous farming districts.
Frankfort remains the growth point in Mafube Local Municipality and plays a major role in terms of regional service provision and industrial and commercial development.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Mafube Local Municipality has a population of 61,150 people, compared to 57,574 in 2016, and 57,876 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.53%.
According to the 2022 Census, 26% of the population is under the age of 15, 66.6% is between 15 and 64, and 7.4% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 91.9% of the population in Mafube Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 7% as White, 0.6% as Coloured, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 64.4% of the population speaks Sesotho as their first language, 20.9% speak isiZulu, 8.3% speak Afrikaans, 1.7% speak isiXhosa, and 4.7% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Mafube Local Municipality are agriculture, finance, community services, manufacturing, tourism, trade, transport, and construction.
Municipal council and management
The municipality is under S139 administration, effective from June 2022.
The Mafube municipal council is comprised of 17 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Nine councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 9 wards, while the remaining 8 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 reduced majority of 10 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 10 – EFF: 3 – DA: 2 – VF PLUS: 2 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Jabulani Sigasa |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | Maletsatsi Maria Mofokeng |
| Chief Whip | Jonase Kotsi |
| Other Council Members | – Marchand du Plessis – LS Kubeka – Tshidi Moloi – Nomasonto Evelyn Motaung – Fusi Petrus Motloung – Nokuvuna Rakoloti |
| Municipal Manager | Mothusi Lepheana |
| Chief Financial Officer | N.L Gqoli |
| Senior Management | – ZE Mofokeng (Director: Community Services and LED) – I Ngozo (Acting Director: Corporate Services) – N Radebe (Acting Director: Infrastructure) – Diao Ramabitsa (Director: Technical) |
| Communications Officers | Sipho Radebe |
Mismanagement
In 2015 the municipal manager, Nkabi Hlubi, allegedly awarded tenders to the value of R21 million to Pit Dog Trading. The latter company allegedly manipulated its tender grading and provided Hlubi with kickbacks of R1 million each time a municipal payment was made. Hlubi appeared in the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court in 2021 on charges of fraud and corruption.
As of January 2024, the municipality is under administration, one of 32 in the country, and three in the Free State where the provincial executive has intervened due to maladministration.
In September 2024, the Municipal Workers Retirement Fund took the municipality to court after the municipality had deducted close to R38 million from workers for pension fund contributions, but never paid this over to the pension fund. The court ordered the municipality to pay the outstanding pension fund money.
Towns/places
The main towns/places in Mafube Local Municipality are; Cornelia, Frankfort, Tweeling, and Villiers.
Cornelia
The Greater Cornelia area is situated 40 kilometres east of Frankfort, 160 kilometres east of Sasolburg, and 32 kilometres southeast of Villiers.
The town is situated adjacent to the R103 Secondary Road between Warden and Villiers. Cornelia typically developed as a small town serving the predominant surrounding agricultural community.
Frankfort
Frankfort is situated 55 kilometres east of Heilbron and approximately 120 kilometres southeast of Sasolburg. Frankfort is a typically-developed small town, serving the predominant surrounding agricultural community.
Tweeling
The Greater Tweeling area is located approximately 150 kilometres east of Sasolburg and 350 kilometres northeast of Bloemfontein and is situated adjacent to the Frankfort/Reitz Primary Road. Other larger centres, such as Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging, are all within 160 kilometres of Tweeling.
Primary agricultural activities in the town include cattle and sheep farming, maize, and sunflower seed production.
Villiers
The Villiers Town area is situated on the banks of the Vaal River, adjacent to the N3 National Road between Gauteng and Durban.
Concerning other major centres, the town is located 120 kilometres from Johannesburg, 80 kilometres from Vereeniging, and 117 kilometres from Sasolburg.
Villiers is predominantly agriculture-orientated, where products such as wheat, maize, sorghum, sunflower, grain, meat and dairy are produced.
Villiers functions as the main concentration point for products in the district, from where they are directly exported. The grain silos in Villiers, together with other grain silos in the district, have a storage capacity of 273,000 tons.
Contact details
The contact details of Mafube Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 2, Frankfort, 9830 |
| Physical Address: | 64 JJ Hadebe Street, Frankfort, 9830 |
| Telephone: | 058 813 1051 |
| Fax: | 058 813 3072 |
| Email: | info@mafube.org |
| Website: | www.mafube.fs.gov.za |
Tourism
-> FRANKFORT
- Frankfort River Resort
The resort is situated along the banks of the Wilge River at Nieuw street, Frankfort. Accommodation options include self-catering chalets, fishermen’s rondavels and caravan/camping sites with electricity. B&B is also available. Relax next to the pool and have a meal at the á-la-Carte Restaurant. Games rooms and spotless ablution blocks for your comfort. The resort can be contacted at tel. +27 (0)58 813 1610 and fax +27 (0)58 813 1610. The website is www.frankfortresort.co.za
- Namahadi Arts & Crafts Centre
Visit Namahadi Arts & Crafts Centre for authentic cultural crafts and beadwork. Outstanding African hand work renowned for the best curios from the Free State. The contact numbers are tel. +27 (0)76 193 5569 or fax +27 (0)58 813 2905.
-> VILLIERS
The tourism related nature of specifically Villiers adjacent the Vaal River should be enhanced focusing on low density residential development on the riparian areas and “recreation and tourist” attractions as indentified in the Vaal River Complex Regional Structure Plan. Attractions include;
- Fishing
Carp and Yellow Fish abound in this part of the Vaal River and Villiers provides many spots (with or without facilities) for anglers to spend on this popular pastime.
- Bird Watching
Bird watchers can visit lodges in the area, or just scout along the river banks (for example in the Eucalyptus “woods” West of the steel bridge) for the many bird species that are inhabitant to the area.
- Hiking
Many official hiking trails can be found in the area, while the more adventurous can take a stroll along surrounding koppies and river banks.
-> TWEELING
This untouched rural town has a rich historical background from the Anglo-Boer war. Regular horse riding events, at the local Polo cross club, offer spectacular equitation. Excellent horse riding facilities are also available to the casual visitor who has the opportunity to take lengthy rides through a scenic countryside.
-> Other places of interest include; Anglo-Boer War Remnants * Festival Site * Geese Farming * Goose-down Products * Historical significance * Horse riding * Hunting * San Rock Artwork
