The Ngwathe Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the central 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: | FS203 |
| Seat: | Parys |
| Number of wards: | 18 |
| Total area: | 7,055 km² (2,724 square miles) |
| Population: | 134,962 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Victoria de Beer Mthombeni |
About
The former Transitional Local Councils and section of the former Kroonkop, Koepel, and Vaal Dam Transitional Rural Councils also form part of the Ngwathe Local Municipality.
Ngwathe Local Municipality is geographically located in the central region of the Fezile Dabi District Municipality.
The municipality is named after the Renoster River. The Sesotho name for the river is “Ngwathe”.
Ngwathe Local Municipality covers an area of 7,055 km² (2,724 square miles), making it the second-largest local municipality in the Fezile Dabi District as it accounts for a third of its geographical area.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Ngwathe Local Municipality is in Parys.
The municipality is divided into 18 wards.
Ngwathe Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Moqhaka Local Municipality to the west and south
- Nketoana Local Municipality in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality to the southeast
- Mafube Local Municipality to the east
- Metsimaholo Local Municipality to the northeast
- Emfuleni Local Municipality in the Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng Province to the north
- JB Marks Local Municipality in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality in the North West Province to the north
The Vaal River forms the northern boundary of the municipality and also serves as the boundary between the Free State, North West, and Gauteng Provinces.
The Renoster River also drains through the region and is dammed up in the vicinity of Koppies in a series of dams, namely the Rooipoort, Weltevrede, and Koppies Dams. The rivers, together with the respective dams, are prominent water sources for agricultural purposes in the municipality.
Other prominent topographical features include the Vredefort Dome in Parys. The form of the dome consists of a central cone of granite surrounded by concentric ridges of quartzite belonging to the Witwatersrand System.
The Parys District has unique natural and environmental assets, like the Vaal River, with several islands in the proximity of Parys, and the Vredefort Dome, that present exceptional tourism potential.
Parys has a well-developed airfield that supports commercial and tourism development in the area. It has a strong commercial component and provides a wide range of services regarding education, health, and professional services to the district.
Vredefort is the only town that formed the former Vredefort District. The former Heilbron District is predominantly an agricultural area, although major manufacturing industries contribute largely to the Gross Geographic Product (GDP) of the district.
Koppies is located in an area of agricultural significance and mainly provides services in this regard to the surrounding rural areas.
The three well-established and developed irrigation schemes subsequently enhance the agricultural character of the area.
The strategic location of Koppies between the larger centres of Kroonstad and Sasolburg influence growth and development within the community.
The bentonite exploitation near Koppies and the initiative for coal mining in the vicinity of the town provide significant future growth potential.
Koppies is becoming known for its tourist attractions. Specific reference is made to the R82 Battlefield Route, which consists of several historical battlefields. These that are envisaged to be further developed along with the Koppies Dam Nature Reserve.
Edenville is also located in an area of agricultural significance. The main road linking Kroonstad and Heilbron runs adjacent to the area.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Ngwathe Local Municipality has a population of 134,962 people, compared to 118,907 in 2016, and 120,520 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.1%.
According to the 2022 Census, 25.9% of the population is under the age of 15, 64.2% is between 15 and 64, and 9.9% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 86.5% of the population in Mafube Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 10.3% as White, 2.6% as Coloured, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 68.6% of the population speaks Sesotho as their first language, 13.4% speak Afrikaans, 8.5% speak isiXhosa, 3.4% speak isiZulu, and 6.1% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Ngwathe Local Municipality are mining, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Municipal council and management
The Ngwathe municipal council is comprised of 36 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Eighteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 18 wards, while the remaining 18 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 21 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 21 – DA: 7 – EFF: 5 – VF PLUS: 3 – NGWATHERA: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Victoria de Beer Mthombeni |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | Neheng Paulina Mopedi |
| Chief Whip | Leponesa Petrus Sochiva |
| Other Council Members | – Andele Abram Jantjie – Marie La Cock – Isaac Malebo Magashule – Marinda Matthysen-Engelbrecht – Ben Thabo Mokoena – Nomakhaza Suzan Moloi – Modise Joshua Moroenyane – Sellwane Lydia Moseme – Mohau Thabiso Joseph Mosepedi – Mahlomola Piet Motaung – Ephaus Sipho Nthoesane – Makoena Mirriam Rantsaile – Arnold Mattheus Schoonwinkel – Seabata Jan Segoba – Ntutu Alfred Sehume – Jerry Mbuyiselo Tyumbu |
| Municipal Manager | Dr. FP Mothamaha |
| Chief Financial Officer | M Xulu |
| Senior Management | – T Malunga (Director: Technical Services) – MF Mokgobu (Director: Corporate Services) – N Monyeke (Acting Director: Community Services) |
| Communications Officers | Steve Nale |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Ngwathe Local Municipality.
- Edenville
- Heilbron
- Koppies
- Parys
- Vredefort
Contact details
The contact details of Ngwathe Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 359, Parys, 9585 |
| Physical Address: | Liebenburg Street, Parys |
| Telephone: | 056 816 2700 |
| Fax: | 056 811 2046 |
| Email: | mmadmin@ngwathe.co.za |
| Website: | www.ngwathe.fs.gov.za |
Attempted fraud of the municipality
In October 2024, Abram Maheso was arrested after attempting to defraud the municipality of R800 000 by claiming the account as his own when setting up an investment account.
