The Renosterberg Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the eastern region of the Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Northern Cape |
| District: | Pixley Ka Seme |
| Municipal code: | NC075 |
| Seat: | Petrusville |
| Number of wards: | 5 |
| Total area: | 5,529 km² (2,135 square miles) |
| Population: | 10,843 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Andrew Samson |
About
The Renosterberg Local Municipality is geographically located in the eastern region of the Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality of the Northern Cape, known as the Karoo region.
Renosterberg is regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in the Northern Cape Province, as it enjoys warm winter days, cool evening temperatures, and rainfall during the winter season. The summers are hot to very hot and dry.
The Renosterberg Local Municipality covers an area of 5,529 km² (2,135 square miles), making it the smallest of eight local municipalities in the Pixley Ka Seme District, as it accounts for only 5% of its geographical area.
The municipality is divided into 5 wards.
The Renosterberg Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Thembelihle Local Municipality to the north and west
- Emthanjeni Local Municipality to the west and south
- Umsobomvu Local Municipality to the south and east
- Kopanong Local Municipality in the Xhariep District Municipality in the Free State Province to the east
- Letsemeng Local Municipality in the Xhariep District Municipality in the Free State Province to the northeast and north
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Renosterberg Local Municipality is in Petrusville, a typical Eastern Upper Karoo semi-desert village located about 10 kilometres south of the Orange River.
Renosterberg Local Municipality is rich with history and culture. The Dutch Reformed Church Museum exhibits century-old clothing and a horse-drawn hooded cart. The Pillar Fountain was erected to honour King Edward VII.
Most of the original town dwellings in the municipality are simple structures with a prominent, covered veranda as protection against the sun. The more elaborate homes have traces of Victorian style, but still maintain a Karoo-like integrity.
In the Karoo Battlefields, the bitter conflict brought about by the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) has left its mark on world history. The best-marked and most accessible sights form part of the N12 Battlefields Route, which links the Karoo to the Diamond Fields.
National Monuments in the Renosterberg Municipality include the old prison museum, the Reformed Church, the magistrate’s offices, and Teichhouse.
The municipality is also home to the Vanderkloof Dam, which attracts tourists for angling and water-related sports.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Renosterberg Local Municipality has a population of 10,843 people, compared to 11,818 in 2016 and 10,978 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of -0.12%.
According to the 2022 Census, 23.2% of the population is under the age of 15, 67.6% is between 15 and 64, and 9.2% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 57.4% of the population in Renosterberg Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 32.9% as Black African, 8.6% as White, and 0.5% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 71.4% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 24% speak isiXhosa, 1.5% speak English, 1.3% speak Sesotho, and 1.8% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Renosterberg Local Municipality are
Municipal council and management
The municipality is under S139 administration, effective from August 2020.
The Renosterberg municipal council is comprised of 9 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Five councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 5 wards, while the remaining 4 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 5 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 5 – DA: 3 – EFF: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Andrew Samson |
| Speaker | Andrew Sampson |
| Chief Whip | Mary Bitterbos |
| Other Council Members | n/a |
| Administrator | Loko |
| Municipal Manager | Kgabaganyo Matolong |
| Chief Financial Officer | n/a |
| Senior Management | n/a |
| Communications Officers | Xolisa Mathiso (Head: Communications) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Renosterberg Local Municipality.
- Petrusville
- Philipstown
- Vanderkloof
Contact details
The contact details of Renosterberg Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 112, Petrusville, 8770 |
| Physical Address: | 555 School Street, Petrusville |
| Telephone: | 053 050 5584 |
| Fax: | 053 663 0180 |
Controversies
On 26 September 2024, Renosterberg local municipality senior managers were taken to court over R73.5 million of workers’ pension funds that were never paid to the administration. The municipality mayor stated that the workers were taking advantage of the Two-Pot retirement system, which was not able to be implemented as the municipality had financial problems.
