Mohokare Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the eastern region of the Xhariep 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: | Xhariep |
| Municipal code: | FS163 |
| Seat: | Zastron |
| Number of wards: | 6 |
| Total area: | 8,776 km² (3,388 square miles) |
| Population: | 36,968 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Zingiza Mgawuli |
About
Mohokare Local Municipality is geographically located in the eastern region of the Xhariep District Municipality, which is also the southeastern region of the Free State Province.
Mohokare Local Municipality is named after the Caledon River whose Sesotho name is Mohokare, the river runs through the municipality.
Mohokare Local Municipality covers an area of 8,776 km² (3,388 square miles), making it the smallest of three local municipalities in the Xhariep District as it accounts for a quarter of its geographical area.
The municipality is divided into 6 wards.
Mohokare Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Kopanong Local Municipality to the west
- Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality to the north
- Walter Sisulu and Senqu Local Municipalities in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province to the south
- The country of Lesotho to the east, with a distance of approximately 35 kilometres towards the border gate at the Makhaleng Bridge Border Post.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Mohokare Local Municipality is in Zastron.
Zastron is perhaps the best-known of the three towns in the municipality. At the foot of the Aasvöelberg is the famous Eye of Zastron, a 9m-wide hole through a sandstone rock. Examples of Bushman art can be found on the various farms in the area. Zastron is very close to Lesotho and a great place to start exploring.
Smithfield has a peaceful, splendidly vast, unpolluted countryside, tucked neatly into a horseshoe of hills. Established in 1848 and named after Sir Harry Smith, then Governor of the Cape, Smithfield is the third-oldest town in the Free State Province.
Rouxville is in the middle of several other interesting places such as Smithfield, Xhariep, Aliwal, and Zastron, and boasts the impressive Maloti Mountains as a backdrop.
Situated on the N6, Rouxville was founded by Petrus Wepenaar in 1863 on the farm Zuurbult. It was named after Reverand Pieter Roux, who travelled throughout the eastern Free State for many years holding church services for local communities. During the Anglo-Boer War, all of Rouxville’s residents were called up and the town was completely deserted for two years.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Mohokare Local Municipality has a population of 36,968 people, compared to 35,840 in 2016, and 34,146 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.77%.
According to the 2022 Census, 27.7% of the population is under the age of 15, 65.2% is between 15 and 64, and 7.1% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 90.8% of the population in Kopanong Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 6.5% as White, 2.3% as Coloured, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 64.1% of the population speaks Sesotho as their first language, 23.5% speak isiXhosa, 8.9% speak Afrikaans, 1.1% speak English, and 2.4% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Mohokare Local Municipality are tourism and agriculture.
Municipal council and management
The Mohokare municipal council is comprised of 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 2021 South African municipal elections the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of 8 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 8 – EFF: 2 – DA: 1 – INDEPENDENT: 1 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Zingiza Mgawuli |
| Speaker | Lehlohonolo Mafatman |
| Chief Whip | n/a |
| Other Council Members | – Nomhle Adeliade Adoons – Damon Job – Mojalefa Armstrong Letele – Butinyane Joseph Lobi – Pule Petrus Mahapane – Naledi Maria Mkendani – Teboho Daniel Mochechepa – Thabiso Emmanuel Nai – Tshepo Jacob November – Stephen Riddle – Johannes Swart – Retshedisitswe Johannes Thuhlo |
| Municipal Manager | M.J Kanwendo |
| Chief Financial Officer | Thamsanqa Mdluli (Acting) |
| Senior Management | – N Buyeye (Director: Corporate Services) – Styles Lekwala (Manager: Community Services) – Sebinane Thejane (Director: Technical Services) |
| Communications Officers | Lehlonoholo Mafatman |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Mohokare Local Municipality.
- Rouxville
- Smithfield
- Zastron
Contact details
The contact details of Mohokare Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 20, Zastron, 9950 |
| Physical Address: | 1 Hoofd Street, Zastron, 9950 |
| Telephone: | 051 673 9600 |
| Fax: | 051 673 1550 |
| Website: | www.mohokare.gov.za |
| SAPS: | – Zastron: 051 673 9700 – Rouxville: 051 663 6117/6 – Smithfield: 051 683 6216 |
| Medical Emergency: | – Zastron: 051 673 1211 – Smithfield: 051 683 1120 |
