The Musina Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the northern region of the Vhembe District Municipality in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Limpopo |
| District: | Vhembe |
| Municipal code: | LIM341 |
| Seat: | Musina |
| Number of wards: | 12 |
| Total area: | 10,347 km² (3,995 square miles) |
| Population: | 130,899 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Godfrey Nkhanedzeni Mawela |
About
The Musina Local Municipality is geographically located in the northern region of the Vhembe District Municipality, just south of the Limpopo River, which forms the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is the northernmost part of Limpopo Province and the northernmost local municipality in South Africa, close to the Beitbridge Border Post between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The region is rich in minerals and apparently, the name originated with the Musina people, who discovered copper deposits and settled there.
On 3 August 2016, the Mutale Local Municipality was disestablished and merged into Musina Local Municipality.
The Musina Local Municipality covers an area of 10,347 km² (3,995 square miles), making it the largest local municipality in the Vhembe District as it accounts for nearly half of its geographical area.
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Musina Local Municipality is in Musina (previously Messina). The Musina town developed around the copper mining industry in the area.
The municipality is divided into 12 wards.
The Musina Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Collins Chabane, Thulamela, and Makhado Local Municipalities to the south
- Blouberg Local Municipality in the Capricorn District Municipality to the south
- The Republic of Botswana to the west
- The Republic of Zimbabwe to the north
- The Republic of Mozambique to the east
Musina Local Municipality’s major economic strengths, except diamond mining, are the many game farms and tourist attraction sites including, the Kruger National Park, the Big Tree, Musina Nature Reserve, Morning Sun Nature Reserve, Maremani Nature Reserve, and Mapungubwe National Park.
Another major tourist attraction site in the municipal area is the world heritage site of Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (meaning “Hill of Jackals”) – it is one of the richest archaeological sites in South Africa.
Musina Local Municipality is known for being the region of Baobab trees and impala lilies, which are both protected species.
Cross-border trade is an active aspect of the municipality’s local economy and Musina Local Municipality is one of the areas that has been declared a growth point by the Provincial Government of Limpopo. The establishment of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which created thousands of jobs is a true reflection of the fact that the Municipality is improving and growing so fast.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Musina Local Municipality has a population of 130,899 people, compared to 132,009 in 2016, and 104,709 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.17%.
According to the 2022 Census, 27.5% of the population is under the age of 15, 69.1% is between 15 and 64, and 3.4% is over 65.
The municipality is also aware of the massive influx of foreign nationals, some of them undocumented, who have found home in the border town of Musina and the nearby rural villages.
Population groups found in the municipality include Tsonga, Venda, Shona, Northern Sotho, English, Afrikaners, Bangladeshi, Indian, Chinese, and Somali-speaking people.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 94% of the population in Musina Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 4.8% as White, 0.5% as Indian/Asian, and 0.3% as Coloured.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 52.1% of the population speaks Tshivenḓa as their first language, 9% speak Sesotho, 8.2% speak Sepedi, 4.9% speak Afrikaans, and 25.8% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Musina Local Municipality are mining, agriculture, and tourism.
Municipal council and management
The Musina municipal council is comprised of 24 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twelve councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 12 wards, while the remaining 12 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 19 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 19 – DA: 2 – EFF: 2 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Godfrey Nkhanedzeni Mawela |
| Speaker | Evelyn Siyaphi Shirilele |
| Chief Whip | Fistos Mafela |
| Other Council Members | – Rudzani Sharon Luambo (Portfolio Head: Community Services) – Victor Manavhela (Portfolio Head: Local Economic Development and Technical Services) – Vivian Miladzi (Portfolio Head: Corporate Services) |
| Municipal Manager | Nathi Tshiwanammbi |
| Chief Financial Officer | Thomas Nephawe |
| Senior Management | – Priscilla Demana (General Manager: Community Services) – Itani Dzebu (Manager: LED) – Makhumo Mothoa (General Manager: Economic Development and Planning) – Pandelani Mudau (General Manager: Corporate Services) – Yolanda Sinclair (General Manager: Technical Services) |
| Communications Officers | Wilson Dzebu (Manager: Communications) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Musina Local Municipality.
- Musina (formerly known as Messina)
- Muswodi
- Tshamutumbu
- Tshipise
Contact details
The contact details of Musina Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X611, Musina, 0900 |
| Physical Address: | 21 Irwin Street, Musina, 0900 |
| Telephone: | 015 534 6100 |
| Fax: | 015 534 2513 |
| Email: | info@musina.gov.za |
| Website: | www.musina.gov.za |
| Accounts: | 015 534 6214 |
| Electricity: | 063 686 7788 |
| Refuse & Waste: | 015 533 6100 |
| Roads: | 015 534 6195 |
| Service Delivery: | 015 534 6181 |
| Water: | 071 356 2664 |
| Ambulance and Fire: | 015 534 0446 |
| Hospital: | 015 534 0446 |
| Police (Musina): | 015 534 7410/ 7402 |
| Police (Tshamutumbu): | 015 539 9000 |
| Police (Muswodi): | 015 539 9904 |
