Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality

The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is a Category A municipality that governs Bloemfontein and surrounding towns in the Free State province of South Africa.

Overview

Type of municipality:Metropolitan (Category A)
Province:Free State
Municipal code:MAN
Seat:Bloemfontein
Wards:51
Total area:9,886 km² (3,817 square miles)
Population:811,431 (in 2022)
Controlling party:ANC
Mayor:Gregory Nthlatsi

About

Mangaung is one of the eight Metropolitan Municipalities in South Africa, the other seven being, the City of Cape Town, Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, eThekwini, the City of Johannesburg, the City of Ekurhuleni, and the City of Tshwane.

Geographically, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is centrally located within the Free State Province, the central interior of South Africa.

The name Mangaung is a Sesotho name meaning “place of Cheetahs”, as it was common for the Basotho to name warrior groups after fierce animals.

In 2001, three urban areas (Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, and Thaba ‘Nchu) were merged to form Mangaung, a local municipality under the Motheo District Municipality.

Mangaung was then established as a Metropolitan Municipality in 2011, after playing an important role in hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

A few years later in 2016, Mangaung was merged with Naledi Local Municipality (including the small town of Soutpan) to form the current municipal boundaries.

Mangaung is bordered by Lejweleputswa District Municipality to the north, Xhariep District Municipality to the west and south, Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality to the east and the country of Lesotho to the southeast.

The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is accessible via National infrastructure including the N1 (which links Bloemfontein to Gauteng in the north and Western Cape in the southwest), the N6 (which links Bloemfontein to the Eastern Cape), the N8 (which links to Lesotho in the east and with the Northern Cape in the west) and Bram Fischer International Airport.

The Mangaung Metro covers an area of 9,886 km² (3,817 square miles) and comprises three prominent urban centres (Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, and Thaba ‘Nchu) that are surrounded by an extensive rural area with small towns namely, Dewetsdorp, Wepener, Van Stadensrus, and Soutpan/Ikgomotseng.

The rural area makes up the largest percentage (97.17%) of the entire municipal area and is characterised by extensive commercial farming in the west, mainly mixed crop production and cattle farming. The Metro is characterised by three different land use types including formalised stands in urban areas, small holdings, and farms.

The Barolong Tribal Authority oversees 37 villages dispersed across the tribal area. Twenty-one villages are located to the north and 16 villages are situated to the south of the tribal area. The rural areas between the villages are characterized by large stretches of communal grazing land utilized for cattle.

Ownership of the land has been a contentious issue for years and it is expected that the land will be transferred to the Traditional Council. Local residents have expressed a need to obtain ownership of the small plots on which they reside.

History

Mangaung was previously known by the name of its Central Business District, Bloemfontein, which is Dutch for “fountain of flowers”. Bloemfontein was established as a British Fort in 1846 and is currently the judicial capital of South Africa.

Because of its central location and abundance of water, Mangaung has served as the capital of several peoples including, the Boers, the Griqua (a sub-group of the Khoe-speaking nations), and the Barolong of Tswana descent.

Mangaung is also the birth city of the African National Congress (ANC), which was formed in 1912 at the Wesleyan Church in Waaihoek, Bloemfontein.

The Wesleyan Church hosted the historic gathering which gave birth to Africa’s oldest liberation movement. The South African Native National Congress was founded there on the 8th of January in 1912. It was renamed the ANC in 1923.

The four-day meeting, which was convened by 30-year-old Pixley ka Isaka Seme, was attended by more than 60 delegates from across the country.

Delegates comprised traditional leaders or their representatives, and political leaders. John Langalibalele Dube was elected as the founding president in absentia. Four vice presidents were also elected at the inaugural conference.

Mangaung has a smaller economy than other South African Metropolitan Municipalities and is not home to any large enterprises or headquarters of national or international corporations. Mangaung’s dominant economic sectors are therefore government services and regional services.

Like many other South African cities, Mangaung also suffers from inefficiencies and inequalities that are a result of segregated colonial and apartheid planning.

Apartheid planning resulted in a fragmented spatial form and low densities. Suburbs developed according to race and were divided by buffer strips, railway lines, and industries, resulting in three industrial development points, daily commuters, and long-distance migrants.

While the merger in 2001 created the potential for an integrated planning system, finding appropriate ways of integration and planning for higher densities remains difficult.

Maladministration

After Mangaung was established as a Metropolitan Municipality in 2011, it gained more budgetary independence but also meant that it lost its regional connections, as it was no longer part of a District Municipality.

This link was somewhat re-established in 2016 when Naledi Local Municipality (including the small town of Soutpan) merged into Mangaung.

However, the expansion of Mangaung meant that the municipality had to not only serve more people but also provide services over a larger geographical area. It was difficult for the Metro to handle the resulting fiscal pressure, leading to it being placed under administration in 2019.

Mangaung briefly recovered by was again placed under administration in April 2022, making it one of 41 in the country, and four in the Free State where the provincial executive has intervened due to maladministration.

Since then, Mangaung has continued to struggle financially, making it more dependent on external grant funding for both land development and infrastructure investments. This has affected the municipality’s ability to make decisions and steer development.

Map

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Map
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Map.

Population

According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 811,431 residents, compared to 787,803 in 2016, and 775,184 in 2011.

The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.44%.

According to the 2022 Census, 25.1% of the population is under the age of 15, 68.2% is between 15 and 64, and 6.7% is over 65.

Racial makeup

According to the 2022 Census, 87.9% of the population in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 7.8% as White, 3.8% as Coloured, and 0.4% as Indian/Asian.

Languages

According to the 2022 Census, 53.3% of the population speaks Sesotho as their first language, 16.2% speak Afrikaans, 12.6% speak Setswana, 9.9% speak isiXhosa, and 8% speak other languages.

Economy

The city’s main economic sectors are community services (35.3%), finance (26.8%), trade (16%), transport (11.8%), and manufacturing (3.5%).

Municipal council and management

This Metropolitan Municipality is under S139(7) national government administration from April 2022.

The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is governed by a 100-member city council elected by mixed-member proportional representation.

Fifty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifty wards, while the other fifty are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

In the 2021 South African Municipal Elections of 1 November 2021, the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of fifty-one seats on the council.

Controlling PartyANC
Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party)ANC: 51
DA: 26
EFF: 12
VF PLUS: 5
AASD: 2
PA: 2
ACDP: 1
AIC: 1
ATM: 1
Executive MayorGregory Nthlatsi
Deputy Executive MayorLulama Titi-Odili
SpeakerBongani Mathae
Chief WhipVumile Nikelo
Other Council Members– Vuyelwa Jonas (MMC: Planning and Economic Development)
– Logan Kruger (MMC: Finance)
– Manthuse Letawana (MMC: Corporate Services)
– Theodorah Mosala (MMC: Waste and Fleet Management)
– Alfred Qai (MMC: Community Services)
– Vusi Soqaga (MMC: Engineering and Infrastructure)
– Sibongile Tsoleli (MMC: IDP and Performance)
– Pani Twala (MMC: Agriculture and Rural Development)
Municipal ManagerN Dumalisile
Chief Financial OfficerZuziwe Lydia Thekiso
Senior Management– Cobus Brummer (General Manager: Architectural Services)
– Nokuthula Chakane (HOD: Planning, Economic and Rural Development and Human Settlements)
– Bennet Comakae (Acting Deputy Executive Director: Operations)
– Mokete Duma (HOD: Corporate Services)
– Bukelwa Henama (General Manager: Social Development)
– Israel Kgamanyane (HOD: Public Safety and Security)
– Thato Khoase (General Manager: Strategic Support)
– Mosala Khunong (General Manager: Budget and Treasury)
– Masabatha Makhetha (Acting General Manager: Informal Settlements)
– Zolile Mangcotywa (Chief of Staff)
– George Masaubi (General Manager: Strategic Support)
– Kadimo Masekoane (Deputy Executive Director: Performance Monitoring/Evaluation )
– Itumeleng Masobeng (HOD: Technical Services)
– Bongani Mathae (Manager: LED)
– Yolanda Mfana (Acting Senior Admin Officer: Office of the HOD)
– Samuel Ramoshebi (General Manager: Human Resource Management)
– Thami Sitishi (General Manager: Accounting Compliance)
– Dr Thabang Thinda (HOD: Community Services)
– Glory Twala (Waste and Fleet Management)
Communications Officers– Qondile Khedama
– Monyake Mothekhe
– Lebohang Pita

Maladministration

Since April 2022, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has been under administration, one of 32 in the country, and 3 in the Free State where the provincial executive has intervened due to maladministration.

Towns/Places

Below are the towns/places in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.

  • Bloemfontein
  • Botshabelo
  • Dewetsdorp
  • Mangaung
  • Soutpan
  • Thaba Nchu
  • Van Stadensrus
  • Wepener

Contact details

The contact details of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality are listed in the table below.

Postal address:PO Box 3704, Bloemfontein, 9300
Physical address:Bram Fischer Building, Nelson Mandela Drive & Markgraaff Street, Bloemfontein
Telephone:– 0800 111 300
– 051 405 8911
Fax:051 405 8108
Email:enquiry@mangaung.co.za
Website:www.mangaung.co.za
Emergency services (fire, rescue, and disasters):– Tel: 051 406 6666
– Ambulance (all hours): 10177
CENTLEC Customer Services:– Tel: 051 409 2345
– Tel: 051 409 2308
– Tel: 051 409 2416
– Tel: 051 409 2368
Mangaung Switchboard:– Tel: 027 51 405 8911
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Tourism & Marketing:– Tel: 027 51 405 8489 / 027 51 405 8490
– E-mail: information@bloemfontein.co.za