The Richtersveld Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the northwestern corner of the Namakwa 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: | Namakwa |
| Municipal code: | NC061 |
| Seat: | Port Nolloth |
| Number of wards: | 6 |
| Total area: | 9,608 km² (3,710 square miles) |
| Population: | 24,235 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Cornell Knoph |
About
The municipality is named after Reverend W Richter, a Dutch missionary from the 20th century who opened a mission station in Kuboes.
The Richtersveld Local Municipality is geographically located in the northwestern corner of the Namakwa District Municipality, the Northern Cape Province, and South Africa.
The Richtersveld Local Municipality comprises 6 wards and covers an area of 9,608 km² (3,710 square miles), making it the smallest of six local municipalities in the Namakwa District, as it accounts for only 6% of its geographical area.
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Richtersveld Local Municipality is in Port Nolloth.
The Richtersveld Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Nama Khoi Local Municipality to the east and south
- The Atlantic Ocean to the west
- The ǁKharas Region in the Republic of Namibia to the north, and east
The Richtersveld is a unique landscape surrounded by a variety of contrasts. It is a conservation area. Rainfall is minimal and water is a scarce commodity, yet the vast plains, which are considered a special place by some, are still a very beautiful region with unique characteristics that attract thousands of tourists.
The northernmost part of the Richtersveld Local Municipality is part of the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, while immediately to the south of the park is the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site.
The main town of the municipality is Port Nolloth, which lies on the Atlantic coast in the southern region of the municipality. Other towns in Richtersveld Local Municipality are Alexander Bay at the mouth of the Orange River, and Sanddrif, which is adjacent to the Baken diamond mine.
Other smaller settlements in the municipality include Sendelingsdrif and Grootderm along the Orange River, Eksteenfontein, Kuboes, and Lekkersing in the interior.
The main transport route in the municipality is the R382 road, which runs from Steinkopf (where it connects to the N7 highway) west to Port Nolloth, and then north along the coast to Alexander Bay.
History
Richtersveld is part of Little Namaqualand, the part of Namaqualand south of the Orange River. The original inhabitants of Namaqualand were overwhelmingly Khoi Khoi, but also included some San people.
During the 19th century, other people started settling in Little Namaqualand. These included some white Trekboere, and also several so-called basters. The missionaries also started showing an interest in Little Namaqualand. The Rhenish Missionary Society established a mission station under the charge of Reverend Hein at Kuboes during the mid-19th century.
On 23 December 1847, the British Crown, through annexation, extended the northern boundary of the then Cape Province from the Buffels River up to the Orange River. From that date, the whole of Little Namaqualand (including the Richtersveld) became subject to British rule.
In 1925, diamonds were discovered near Port Nolloth. In 1927, a particularly rich deposit was found at the mouth of the Orange River at Alexander Bay. A large number of people moved into the area. Throughout the 1960s through 1998, a Light Infantry Regiment of the SADF was garrisoned here along with 2 batteries of Self-Propelled Artillery.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Richtersveld Local Municipality has a population of 24,235 people, compared to 12,487 in 2016 and 11,982 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 6.84%.
According to the 2022 Census, 24.1% of the population is under the age of 15, 68.9% is between 15 and 64, and 6.9% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 76.6% of the population in Richtersveld Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 13.1% as Black African, 8.5% as White, and 0.5% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 87% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 6.1% speak isiXhosa, 2.6% speak English, and 4.3% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Richtersveld Local Municipality are agriculture, mining, tourism, and fishing.
Municipal council and management
The Richtersveld municipal council comprises 11 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 6 wards, while the remaining 5 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 6 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 6 – DA: 3 – EFF: 1 – NEF: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Cornell Knoph |
| Speaker | Marlene Fredericks |
| Chief Whip | Cretas Thandi Sonamzi |
| Other Council Members | – B Augustus (Proportional) – C Augustus (Proportional) – A Bock (Ward Councillor) – F Mabala (Ward Councillor) – M Obies (Ward Councillor) – C Stuurman (Proportional) – R Thomas (Ward Councillor) – R van Wyk (Proportional) |
| Municipal Manager | Joseph G Cloete |
| Chief Financial Officer | Dineo Moshobane |
| Senior Management | Ivan Cloete (Manager: Infrastructure) |
| Communications Officers | n/a |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Richtersveld Local Municipality.
- Alexander Bay
- Eksteensfontein
- Kuboes
- Lekkersing
- Port Nolloth
- Richtersveld
- Sanddrift
Contact details
The contact details of the Richtersveld Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X113, Port Nolloth, 8280 |
| Physical Address: | 169 Main Road, Port Nolloth, 8280 |
| Telephone: | 027 851 1111 |
| Fax: | 027 851 1101 |
| Email: | postmaster@richtersveld.gov.za |
| Website: | www.richtersveld.gov.za |
