The Siyathemba Local Municipality is a Category B municipality within the Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality in the eastern region of 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: | NC077 |
| Seat: | Prieska |
| Number of wards: | 6 |
| Total area: | 14,727 km² (5,686 square miles) |
| Population: | 27,102 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Johan Andrew Phillips |
About
The Siyathemba Local Municipality was established as a result of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act of 1998 on 22 September 2000. It incorporates the former municipal areas of Marydale, Prieska, and Niekerkshoop.
The municipality was initially established as ‘Primanday’, a combination of the names Prieska, Marydale, and Niekerkshoop. However, this wasn’t an acceptable solution, and on 25 June 2001, as a result of a Council decision and Provincial Government notice 22/2001, the municipality was renamed Siyathemba.
The name Siyathemba means “we hope”.
The Siyathemba Local Municipality is geographically located in the eastern region of the Northern Cape Province.
The Siyathemba Local Municipality comprises 6 wards and covers an area of 14,727 km² (5,686 square miles), making it the fourth-largest of eight local municipalities in the Pixley Ka Seme District.
The Siyathemba Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Siyancuma Local Municipality to the north and northeast
- Thembelihle Local Municipality to the east
- Emthanjeni Local Municipality to the southeast
- Kareeberg Local Municipality to the south
- !Kheis Local Municipality in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality to the west and northwest
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Siyathemba Local Municipality is in Prieska, a town located on the southern banks of the Orange River.
Prieska was originally named Prieschap, a Koranna word meaning ‘place of the lost she-goat’, and used to be a fording place for travellers over the Orange River, known to the locals as ‘the gem of the Northern Cape’.
Siyathemba’s infrastructure is impressive, especially in Prieska where there is Eskom power, two landing strips for light aircraft, abundant water supply from the Orange River, with the Vanderkloof and Gariep Dams on the river’s upstream side, good tarred road linkage with De Aar, Kimberley, and Upington, and easy access to the main railway line to the Republic of Namibia.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Siyathemba Local Municipality has a population of 27,102 people, compared to 23,075 in 2016 and 21,591 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.21%.
According to the 2022 Census, 27% of the population is under the age of 15, 66.5% is between 15 and 64, and 6.5% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 71.9% of the population in Siyathemba Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 18.8% as Black African, 8.5% as White, and 0.5% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 93.7% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 3.1% speak isiXhosa, and 3.2% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Siyathemba Local Municipality are agriculture, government services, and financial services.
Municipal council and management
The Siyathemba municipal council is comprised of 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, no party obtained a majority of seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 5 – SGB: 4 – DA: 2 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | Johan Andrew Phillips |
| Speaker | Giel Macdonald |
| Chief Whip | Lazarus Mzwandile Zenani |
| Other Council Members | – Wiida Pelster – Jacobus Platvoet |
| Municipal Manager | Thomas van Staden |
| Chief Financial Officer | Howard Meiring |
| Senior Management | – Jakob Basson (Technical Manager) – Martin Mazondi Kubeka (Corporate Service Manager) |
| Communications Officers | Sandile Botha |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Siyathemba Local Municipality.
- Copperton
- Marydale
- Niekerkshoop
- Prieska
Contact details
The contact details of the Siyathemba Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 16, Prieska, 8940 |
| Physical Address: | Victoria Street, Prieska, 8940 |
| Telephone: | 053 492 3420 |
| Fax: | 053 353 1386 |
| Email: | – info@siyathemba.gov.za – communications@siyathemba.gov.za |
| Website: | www.siyathemba.gov.za |
