Port St. Johns Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the eastern region of the OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B4 (mostly rural) |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| District: | OR Tambo |
| Municipal code: | EC154 |
| Seat: | Port St. Johns |
| Number of wards: | 20 |
| Total area: | 1,291 km² (498 square miles) |
| Population: | 179,325 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Nomvuzo Mlombile Cingo |
About
The Port St. Johns Local Municipality is geographically located in the eastern region of the OR Tambo District Municipality, on the Indian Ocean coast.
The municipality is named after its only large town, Port St. Johns, the administrative center, which is situated on the Wild Coast on a coastline of about 270 kilometres long.
Port St. Johns town is famously known as the Jewel of the Wild Coast, the centre of tourism on the Wild Coast, with deep-sea fishing, shore angling near three beautiful beaches, a mountainous terrain, cliffs, hills, and sandy dunes.
The Port St. Johns Local Municipality covers an area of 1,291 km² (498 square miles), making it the smallest of five local municipalities in the OR Tambo District, as it accounts for about 11% of its geographical area.
The municipality comprises 20 wards, villages, inland and coastal areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the former Transkei.
The Port St. Johns Local Municipality is bordered by:
- The Indian Ocean to the southeast and south
- Nyandeni Local Municipality to the southwest and west, and in part, the Mnenu River
- Ingquza Hill Local Municipality to the northwest, north, and east, and in part, the Mzintlava River
The major river that flows through the Port St. Johns Local Municipality is the Umzimvubu River. The municipality’s large town of Port St. Johns is at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River, which flows through a gorge known as the “Gates of St John” into an estuary located on the Indian Ocean. On both sides of the river ravine are high sandstone mountain peaks: Mount Sullivan and Mount Thesiger.
The Port St. Johns Local Municipality has land for commercial use and an environmentally-friendly residential area. The interior of the municipality is rugged, with some small arable areas.
The municipality is home to some 1,053 types of plants and 164 plant families around Port St Johns town. This unique vegetation harbours rare bird species, providing evidence of the rich biodiversity in Port St Johns.
History
The Port St. Johns Local Municipality lies near the centre of the coastal region of Mpondoland (Pondoland), the area formerly part of the Mpondo Kingdom and a traditional home of the Mpondo people.
In 1846, the Mpondoland Kingdom split into two: the Western and Eastern Areas. The Port St. Johns area became part of Western Mpondoland under Chief Ndamase as a result of a disagreement with his father, King Faku, even though, in theory, Ndamase still owed fealty to his father.
In 1869, the British government of the Cape Colony offered the Mpondo king, Ndamase, a considerable amount of money for the Port St. Johns area, but Ndamase refused the offer. Cape Colony renewed the offer in 1874, but Ndamase remained adamant.
However, after the death of Ndamase in 1876, his successor, Nqwiliso, quickly agreed, and in 1878, Nqwiliso surrendered the Port St Johns area to the Cape Colony in exchange for £1000 and recognition as the ruler of the Western Mpondo Kingdom.
In 1884, the town of Port St Johns was founded, taking its name from the earlier Portuguese “Sâo Joâo” as the area was called. It is unclear whether the Portuguese name was derived from a wrecked ship of the same name that foundered there, or from the silhouette of a rock face that reminded the sailors of the apostle. However, before 1552, the locality was known to the Portuguese as “Sâo Christovâo”.
In 1960, the population of the area generally did not participate in the Mpondo Revolt. However, the murder of Headman Aaron Majali of Majola on 26 September 1960 by fifteen youths from Guduza and Ntlanjana was related. From 1959 to 1994, the municipality was part of the bantustan of Transkei.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Port St. Johns Local Municipality has a population of 179,325 people, compared to 166,779 in 2016 and 156,136 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.34%.
According to the 2022 Census, 36.8% of the population is under the age of 15, 57.4% is between 15 and 64, and 5.8% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 99.3% of the population in Port St. Johns Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.4% as Coloured, 0.2% as White, and 0.1% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 95% of the population speaks isiXhosa as their first language, 2.7% speak English, and 2.3% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Port St. Johns Local Municipality are agriculture and tourism.
Municipal council and management
The Port St. Johns municipal council is comprised of 39 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twenty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 20 wards, while the remaining 19 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 31 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 31 – EFF: 3 – ATM: 2 – CI: 1 – DA: 1 – UDM: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Nomvuzo Mlombile Cingo |
| Speaker | Cebisa Mazuza |
| Chief Whip | Xolile Moni |
| Other Council Members | – Ayanda Gantsho (Local Economic Development) – S Madolo (Portfolio Head: Engineering Services) – Fezeka Mafaka (Portfolio Head: Community Services) – Olwethu Ndumela (Exco Member) – Tani Ntombikhona (Portfolio Head: Budget and Treasury) – Simthembile E Scoto (Portfolio Head: Corporate Services) |
| Municipal Manager | Mluleki Fihlani |
| Chief Financial Officer | T Sikolo |
| Senior Management | – Sandile R Matubatuba (Corporate Services) – Eric Mzayiya (Manager: Community Services) |
| Communications Officers | Phelokazi Pellem (Communications Officer) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Port St. Johns Local Municipality.
- Port St. Johns
Contact details
The contact details of Port St. Johns Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 2, Port St Johns, 5120 |
| Physical Address: | ERF 257 Main Street, Port St Johns, 5120 |
| Telephone: | – 047 564 1207 – 047 564 1208 |
| Fax: | 047 564 1206 |
| Email: | info@psjmunicipality.gov.za |
| Website: | www.psjmunicipality.gov.za |
| Disaster: | 047 878 2008 |
| Emergency: | 047 954 3018 |
| Electricity: | 047 952 1008 |
| Water: | 047 606 4052 |
