Rand West City Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the eastern region of the West Rand District Municipality in the Gauteng Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B2 (large town) |
| Province: | Gauteng |
| District: | West Rand |
| Municipal code: | GT485 |
| Seat: | Randfontein |
| Number of wards: | 35 |
| Total area: | 1,115 km² (431 square miles) |
| Population: | 334,773 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | William Matsheke |
About
Rand West City Local Municipality is geographically situated in the eastern part of the West Rand District Municipality.
The municipality was established after the August 2016 local elections by merging the Randfontein and Westonaria local municipalities which were part of the West Rand District Municipality.
The creation of the new municipality was, in part, a result of poor financial administration in the local municipalities. In the 2014/15 financial year, Randfontein received a qualified opinion from the Auditor General. Westonaria received an Audit not finalised at the legislated date opinion.
Rand West City Local Municipality covers an area of 1,115 km² (431 square miles) making it the smallest local municipality in the Sedibeng District as it accounts for just a third of the district’s geographical area.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Rand West City Local Municipality is in Randfontein.
The municipality is divided into 35 wards.
Rand West City Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Mogale City Local Municipality to the north
- Merafong City Local Municipality to the west
- Emfuleni Local Municipality in Sedibeng District Municipality to the south
- The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to the east
Rand West City Local Municipality has two main urban centers, Randfontein and Westonaria towns. Randfontein is, by far, the larger of the two.
Railway facilities, the N12 National Route, and R28 Provincial Route provide easy access to the area. Goods and services can reach markets and airports easily without sacrificing quality or excessive transport costs. The Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) node from Lenasia also makes it a valued area of choice to reside in.
The Westonaria region is characterised by dispersed urban structures consisting of various urban areas and mining villages spread throughout the municipality. As a result of the decline of gold mining, the area is characterised by high levels of unemployment and poverty.
Rural areas in Rand West City Local Municipality consist of a large number of farms, as well as agricultural holdings.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Rand West City Local Municipality has a population of 334,773 people, compared to 265,887 in 2016, and 261,053 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.41%.
According to the 2022 Census, 24.3% of the population is under the age of 15, 70.8% is between 15 and 64, and 4.9% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 38% of the population in Rand West City Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 33.5% as White, 26.9% as Coloured, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 53.5% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 29.2% speak isiXhosa, 12.3% speak English, 1.4% speak Sesotho, and 3.6% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Rand West City Local Municipality are mining, manufacturing, agriculture, trade, and government services.
Municipal council and management
The Rand West City municipal council is comprised of 69 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Thirty-five councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 35 wards, while the remaining 34 are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 31 – DA: 16 – EFF: 12 – VF PLUS: 3 – PA: 2 – ACDP: 1 – AIC: 1 – AZAPO: 1 – IFP: 1 – R.P.P: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | William Matsheke |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Nontombi Dyase |
| Speaker | Selina Moumakwe |
| Chief Whip | Jokazi Mkhuseli |
| Other Council Members | – Una Dickson (MMC: Health and Social Development) – Sylvia Khenene (MMC: Economic Development and Planning) – Jeje Legoete (MMC: Road, Storm Water and Transport) – Daniel Machaba (MMC: Finance) – Nozipho Mapena (MMC: Integrated Environmental Management) – Duduzile Mbulula (MMC: Public Safety) – Machaba Mpoti (Chief Operations Officer) – Desmond Ndzipho (MMC: Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture) – Winile Njani (MMC: Corporate Services) – Dumile Sithole (MMC: Water, Sanitation and Energy) – Amelia Zama (MMC: Human Settlement) |
| Municipal Manager | Thabo Ndlovu |
| Chief Financial Officer | Xolani Malindi |
| Senior Management | – Vuyani Bekwa (Executive Director: Economic Development and Planning) – Ofentse Blaai (Head: Internal Audit) – Rethabiseng Mokebe (Executive Director: Corporate Support Services) – Bongani Eugene Nkambule (Executive Director: Infrastructure) – Mzubanzi Silinga (Executive Director: Community Services) – Chris Stoffels (Chief of Staff) |
| Communications Officers | Philip Montshiwa |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Rand West City Local Municipality.
- Randfontein
- Westonaria
- Bekkersdal
Contact details
The contact details of Rand West City Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | PO Box 218, Randfontein, 1760 |
| Physical address: | Cnr Sutherland & Pollock Streets, Randfontein |
| Telephone: | 011 411 0000 |
| Fax: | 011 693 1736 |
| Email: | customercareservice@randwestcity.gov.za |
| Website: | www.randwestcity.gov.za |
| Switchboard: | 010 496 5555 |
| Emergency number: | 10177 |
