Steve Tshwete Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the central region of the Nkangala District Municipality in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B1 (secondary city) |
| Province: | Mpumalanga |
| District: | Nkangala |
| Municipal code: | MP313 |
| Seat: | Middelburg |
| Number of wards: | 29 |
| Total area: | 3,976 km² (1,535 square miles) |
| Population: | 242,031 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Masilela Petros Mhlonishwa |
About
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (formerly Middelburg Local Municipality) is geographically located in the central part of the Nkangala District Municipality.
The municipality is named after Steve Vukhile Tshwete, an ANC activist imprisoned by the apartheid government on Robben Island from February 1964 to 1983.
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality covers an area of 3,976 km² (1,535 square miles) making it the second-largest local municipality in the Nkangala District.
The administrative headquarters/seat of Steve Tshwete Local Municipality is in Middelburg.
Middelburg was originally established in 1866 and named Nazareth by the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1872, it was renamed Middelburg, as it was the halfway point between Pretoria and Mashishing (Lydenburg) in the Mpumalanga highveld.
In 1994, Middelburg, Mhluzi, Kwazamokuhle, and Hendrina were merged to form the Transitional Local Councils.
In 2001, a new local government system was established, whereby South Africa was demarcated so that every piece of land fell within the jurisdiction of a municipality. The number of local governments was also reduced and the Transitional Local Councils of Middelburg and Hendrina, as well as some smaller towns, were merged. A new municipality was formed, namely Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.
The municipality is divided into 29 wards.
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Thembisile Hani and Emalahleni Local Municipalities to the west
- Emakhazeni Local Municipality to the east
- Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality in the Gert Sibande District to the east
- Govan Mbeki and Msukaligwa Local Municipalities in the Gert Sibande District to the south
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality is a progressive and flourishing Municipality with world-class infrastructure, which has helped it rise to the top of South Africa’s Municipalities.
The municipality is in a prime location for business, less than 150 kilometers from Pretoria (Tshwane), the capital of South Africa, and 170 kilometers from Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub. Additionally, it is close to the N4, which provides easy access to Mozambique and the Richards Bay port in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Steve Tshwete Local Municipality is also known as the Stainless Steel Capital of Africa, as it is home to Columbus Stainless, the only steel plant in Africa.
Mining is the major economic contributor, followed by manufacturing. Other economic contributors include financial services, government services, tourism, and agriculture.
The Steve Tshwete Local Municipality was one of the four to have passed the 2009-10 audit by the Auditor-General of South Africa, who deemed it to have a clean administration.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Steve Tshwete Local Municipality has a population of 242,031 people, compared to 278,749 in 2016, and 229,831 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.5%.
According to the 2022 Census, 23.6% of the population is under the age of 15, 71.1% is between 15 and 64, and 5.3% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 73.6% of the population in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 21.8% as White, 2.6% as Coloured, and 1.6% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 34.4% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 29.6% speak Afrikaans, 14.9% speak isiNdebele, 10.8% speak Sepedi, and 23.4% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Steve Tshwete Local Municipality are mining, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Municipal council and management
The Steve Tshwete municipal council is comprised of 58 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twenty-nine councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 29 wards, while the remaining 29 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 won a majority on the council. However, the African National Congress (ANC) was the largest party, winning 21 seats.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 21 – DA: 17 – EFF: 9 – MHRF: 7 – VF PLUS: 3 – INDEPENDENT: 1 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | Masilela Petros Mhlonishwa |
| Speaker | Mathunyane Silape Thato |
| Chief Whip | Mashiloane Casious Sihle |
| Other Council Members | – Mthokozisi Gif Maseko (Infrastructure Development Services) – Grace Nankie Baneng Mathibela (Financial Services) – Letsatsi Ernest Nkwana (Community Safety) – Marumo Jim Sekgwele (Corporate and Support Services) – Bathobile Cloudeth Shabangu (Arts, Culture and Environmental Health) – Manakedi Caroline Spatial (Development and Human Settlement) |
| Municipal Manager | Stanely Mandla Mnguni |
| Chief Financial Officer | Smangaliso Nelane Mahlangu |
| Senior Management | – Reginah Makgata (Executive Director: Infrastructure Services) – Mothiba Mogofe (Executive Director: Financial Services) – J Silas (Director: Development and Strategic Support) |
| Communications Officers | Prudence Magutle |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality.
- Blinkpan
- Doornkop
- Hendrina
- Komati
- Koornfontein
- Kranspoort
- Kwamakalane
- Kwazamokuhle
- Lesedi
- Middelburg
- Mhluzi
- Naledi
- Presidentsrus
- Pullens Hope
- Rietkuil
Contact details
The contact details of Steve Tshwete Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | PO Box 14, Middelburg, 1050 |
| Physical Address: | Corner Walter Sisulu Street and Wanderers Avenue, Middelburg, 1050 |
| Telephone: | – 013 249 7000 – 087 285 9010 |
| Fax: | 013 243 2550 |
| Email: | council@stlm.gov.za |
| Website: | www.stlm.gov.za |
| Customer Care: | 013 243 1806 |
| Police: | 10111 |
| Fire & Rescue: | 013 243 2222 |
| Report Fraud: | 0800 006 007 |
| 24-hr Service Centre: | 013 249 7344 |
