The Tsantsabane Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the eastern region of the ZF Mgcawu 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: | ZF Mgcawu |
| Municipal code: | NC085 |
| Seat: | Postmasburg |
| Number of wards: | 7 |
| Total area: | 18,290 km² (7,062 square miles) |
| Population: | 30,969 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Helena English |
About
The Tsantsabane Local Municipality is geographically located in the eastern region of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality.
The name Tsantsabane was the original name given to the town by the Batswana because of the presence of many shiny stones (e.g., the hematite).
The Tsantsabane Local Municipality comprises 7 wards and covers an area of 18,290 km² (7,062 square miles), making it the third-largest of five local municipalities in the ZF Mgcawu District.
The Tsantsabane Local Municipality is bordered by:
- The Dawid Kruiper and !Kheis Local Municipalities to the west
- Siyancuma Local Municipality in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality to the south and southeast
- Kgatelopele Local Municipality to the east
- Ga-Segonyana, Gamagara, and Joe Morolong Local Municipalities in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality to the north
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Tsantsabane Local Municipality is in Postmasburg. The nearest business centre is Kimberley, which is about 200 kilometres away.
Three main traffic routes provide access to other cities, namely Johannesburg via Kuruman, and the Kalahari and Cape Town via Kimberley.
The rest of the Tsantsabane Municipality area comprises Postdene, Boichoko, Stasie, New Town, Skyfontein, Groen Water, Jean Heaven, Marenane (the newly established settlement brought about by the land redistribution), and the well-known Lohatlha Army Battle School.
The Tsantsabane Local Municipality is home to the Witsand Nature Reserve, which offers one of the most scenic mountain biking experiences, an abundance of wildlife, a large number of bird species, white sandy dunes, and dirt roads.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Tsantsabane Local Municipality has a population of 30,969 people, compared to 39,345 in 2016 and 35,093 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of -1.21%.
According to the 2022 Census, 21.5% of the population is under the age of 15, 72.3% is between 15 and 64, and 6.3% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 52.8% of the population in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 37.6% as Coloured, 8.4% as White, and 0.6% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 55.2% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 33.2% speak Setswana, 2.4% speak isiXhosa, 2.3% speak English, and 6.9% speak other languages.
Economy
Economically, Tsantsabane Local Municipality is famous for being rich in minerals, for its agriculture, mining, farming, solar, and manufacturing. The Tsantsabane Municipality has reinvented itself over the years as one of the leading investment hot spots in the Northern Cape Province.
Postmasburg is home to Kolomela Mine which is owned by Anglo American. The Iron Ore mine was officially opened in June of 2012 and has since brought an implosion of development to the area especially by providing job opportunities for the local communities.
Although diamonds are still mined in the municipality, the most important mineral is manganese.
There have been a few archaeological findings in the Tsantsabane Municipality. A sight known as Blinkklipkop in Postmasburg, meaning “Shining Rock Hill”, boasts indications that the Khoisan attempted mining in this area as early as 700 AD.
Altogether, there are twelve mines in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality.
Municipal council and management
The Tsantsabane municipal council is comprised of 13 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 7 wards, while the remaining 6 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 7 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 7 – DA: 2 – EFF: 2 – STC: 2 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Helena English |
| Speaker | Lindiwe Teise |
| Chief Whip | Marco Lottering |
| Other Council Members | – Henry Beets – Deyoungs Minnies |
| Municipal Manager | Gaonyadiwe Heinrich Mathobela |
| Chief Financial Officer | Leonard Rohald Coakley |
| Senior Management | – I.C Nkadimang (Director: Corporate Services) – Julius Theys (Director: Community Services) |
| Communications Officers | Joseph Kekgopilwe |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Tsantsabane Local Municipality.
- Beeshoek
- Postmasburg
- Blinkklipkop
Contact details
The contact details of the Tsantsabane Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 5, Postmasburg, 8420 |
| Physical Address: | 13 Springbok Street, Postmasburg, 8420, Northern Cape |
| Telephone: | 053 313 7300 |
| Fax: | 053 313 1602 |
| Email: | – info@tsantsabane.gov.za – communications@tsantsabane.gov.za |
| Website: | www.tsantsabane.gov.za |
