Matatiele Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated in the northern region of the Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| District: | Alfred Nzo |
| Municipal code: | EC441 |
| Seat: | Matatiele |
| Number of wards: | 26 |
| Total area: | 4,352 km² (1,680 square miles) |
| Population: | 225,562 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Sonwabile Mngenela |
About
Matatiele Local Municipality is geographically located in the northern part of the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, forming the northeastern boundary of the Eastern Cape Province with KwaZulu-Natal Province.
The Matatiele Municipality is predominantly rural and area comprises the commercial farmlands surrounding the service centre of Matatiele, the town of Cedarville, and the R293 township of Maluti.
Matatiele Local Municipality comprises 26 wards and covers an area of 4,352 km² (1,680 square miles), making it the largest of four local municipalities in the Alfred Nzo District, as it accounts for almost half of its geographical area.
Matatiele Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Umzimvubu Local Municipality to the south
- Elundini Local Municipality in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality to the west
- The country of Lesotho to the northwest and north
- Greater Kokstad Local Municipality in the Harry Gwala District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Province to the east
The administrative headquarters/seat of Matatiele Local Municipality is in Matatiele.
The town of Matatiele serves as the main economic hub for Matatiele Local Municipality and beyond, and is identified in the District Municipality Spatial Development Framework (SDF) as a primary node.
The municipality’s settlement pattern is characterised by dispersed rural settlements surrounded by subsistence farmlands in the former Transkei region.
The Matatiele Local Municipality is traversed by the R56 (Regional Road), a major arterial and trade route running through the municipality in an east-west direction, linking Matatiele with Kokstad to the east and Tlokoeng (previously known as Mount Fletcher) to the west.
The R56 links the municipality with KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape located south of the Matatiele Municipality.
The western region of the municipality (commercial agricultural farms) forms part of the high production potential land stretching from Matatiele and Kokstad in the south through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands to the northwestern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
The area is located at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. It adjoins the World Heritage Site along its western boundary and was included in the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Project (MDTP).
The Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Project was a collaborative initiative between Lesotho and South Africa to protect the exceptional biodiversity of the Drakensberg and Maloti Mountains through conservation, sustainable resource use, and land-use and development planning.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Matatiele Local Municipality has a population of 225,562 people, compared to 219,447 in 2016 and 203,843 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.98%.
According to the 2022 Census, 33.6% of the population is under the age of 15, 58.4% is between 15 and 64, and 8% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 98.1% of the population in Matatiele Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.9% as Coloured, 0.7% as White, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 57.4% of the population speaks isiXhosa as their first language, 33.3% speak Sesotho, 2.9% speak English, 1.9% speak isiZulu, and 4.5% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Matatiele Local Municipality are community services, trade, agriculture, and finance.
Municipal council and management
The Matatiele municipal council comprises 51 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twenty-six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 26 wards, while the remaining 25 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 forty seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 40 – EFF: 7 – DA: 3 – AIC: 2 – ATM: 1 – UDM: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Sonwabile Mngenela |
| Speaker | Nonzwakazi Ngwanya |
| Chief Whip | Nomonde Abegail Nkukhu |
| Other Council Members | – Shereen Booth (Portfolio Head: Community Services) – Thembeka Dyantyi (Portfolio Head: Planning and Human Settlements) – Mawethu Facu (Portfolio Head: Local Economic Development) – Nomaroma Cornelia Ludidi-Ndabane (Portfolio Head: Corporate Services) – Mzwamandla Nyembezi (Portfolio Head: Good Governance and Special Programmes) – Wonga Bongekile Potwana (Exco Member) – Makopano Shale (Portfolio Head: Infrastructure Planning and Development) – Siseko Sikhafungana (Exco Member) – Patrick Motlalepula Stuurman (Portfolio Head: Budget and Treasury) |
| Municipal Manager | Lizo Matiwane |
| Chief Financial Officer | Khaluwe Mehlomakhulu |
| Senior Management | – Khaya Magadla (General Manager: Corporate Services) – Siyanda Ntshikilana (General Manager: Economic Development and Planning) – Sisekho Sako (General Manager: Infrastructure Services) |
| Communications Officers | Luncedo Walaza (Spokesperson) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Matatiele Local Municipality.
- Cedarville
- Matatiele
Contact details
The contact details of Matatiele Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 35, Matatiele, 4730 |
| Physical Address: | 102 Main Street, Matatiele |
| Telephone: | 039 737 8100 |
| Fax: | 039 737 3611 |
| Email: | info@matatiele.gov.za |
| Website: | www.matatiele.gov.za |
