Polokwane Local Municipality

Polokwane
Local municipality

Seal

Location of Polokwane Local Municipality within Limpopo
Coordinates: 23°54′S 29°26′E / 23.900°S 29.433°E / -23.900; 29.433Coordinates: 23°54′S 29°26′E / 23.900°S 29.433°E / -23.900; 29.433
Country South Africa
Province Limpopo
District Capricorn
Seat Polokwane (Pietersburg)
Wards 38
Government[1]
 • Type Municipal council
 • Mayor Thembi Nkadimeng
Area
 • Total 3,766 km2 (1,454 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 628,999
 • Density 170/km2 (430/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
 • Black African 92.9%
 • Coloured 0.9%
 • Indian/Asian 0.7%
 • White 5.2%
First languages (2011)[3]
 • Northern Sotho 80.4%
 • Afrikaans 5.4%
 • English 3.2%
 • Tsonga 2.8%
 • Other 8.2%
Time zone SAST (UTC+2)
Municipal code LIM354

The Polokwane Local Municipality (or simply Polokwane Municipality) is a local municipality located within the Capricorn District in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It shares its name with the city of Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg).

Polokwane Municipality accounts for 3% of the total surface area of Limpopo; however, over 10% of the population of Limpopo resides within its boundaries. The Municipality serves as the economic hub of Limpopo and has the highest population density in the Capricorn district. In terms of its physical composition Polokwane Municipality is 23% urbanised and 71% rural.[4] The largest sector of the community within the municipality resides in rural tribal villages, followed by urban settlements.

Cities and settlements

The municipal spatial pattern reflects that of the historic apartheid city model, characterised by segregated settlement. At the centre of the area is the Polokwane economic hub, which comprises the central business district, industrial area, and a range of social services and well-established formal urban areas servicing the more affluent residents of Polokwane.

Situated on the outskirts in several clusters are less formal settlement areas, which are experiencing enormous influx from rural urban migration trends. These areas are in dire need of upgraded services and infrastructure, both social and engineering, and are struggling to cope with the informal influx of more and more people who want access to an improved quality and standard of living.[4]

Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[5]

Place Code Area (km2) Population
Bjatladibja Dikolobe 91201178.9338,474
Dikgale 91202169.7939,966
Ditlou Machidi 9120379.3213,351
Ga-Mashashane 912042.121,667
Maja 9120575.6210,795
Makgoba 912061.03906
Mankoeng 91207117.9737,996
Mankweng 912084.4211,592
Mixed TA 9120997.620
Mojapelo 912101.572,336
Molepo 91211286.0032,707
Moletji 91212467.13103,082
Moloto Solomon Kgabo 912130.871,019
Mothiba 9121411.4415,275
Pietersburg Part 1 91215128.5162,089
Pietersburg Part 2 9122238.444,132
Seshego Part 1 9121721.4271,290
Seshego Part 2 9122312.41548
Thabamoopo 912186.055,799
Tholongwe 91219162.6331,694
Turfloop 912201.823,189
Remainder of the municipality 912161,910.0620,352

Politics

The municipal council consists of seventy-six members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-eight councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-eight wards, while the remaining thirty-eight 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 18 May 2011 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of sixty-one seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[6][7]

Party Votes Seats
Ward List Total % Ward List Total
African National Congress 87,275 91,293 178,568 78.7 35 26 61
Democratic Alliance 12,651 13,008 25,659 11.3 3 6 9
Congress of the People 4,291 4,551 8,842 3.9 0 3 3
Independent 3,644 – 3,644 1.6 0 – 0
African Christian Democratic Party 1,110 1,214 2,324 1.0 0 1 1
Azanian People's Organisation 987 1,134 2,121 0.9 0 1 1
Freedom Front Plus 1,075 856 1,931 0.9 0 1 1
Pan Africanist Congress 767 675 1,442 0.6 0 0 0
National Freedom Party 853 498 1,351 0.6 0 0 0
United Democratic Movement 608 545 1,153 0.5 0 0 0
Total 113,261 113,774 227,035 100.0 38 38 76
Spoilt votes 2,034 1,723 3,757

Demographics

As of 2007 the Polokwane Local Municipality was home to approximately 561,772 people. Growth figures from 1996 to 2001 showed that the municipal population increased by about 3.27% per year on average. Much of this growth is ascribed to an influx of people from other, more rural, municipal areas into Polokwane, where the perception of more employment and greater economic wealth exists.[4]

79% of its households are using electricity for lighting, 62% for cooking, and 58% for heating.[8]

In 2007, 94.1% of the population was Black African, 4.8% White, 1.1% Coloured, Indian or Asian.[4]

Racial groups

Year Total population Percent Black Percent White Percentage Other (mostly Coloured or Asian)
2001 508,277 92.41% 6.1% 1.49%
2007 561,772 Increase 94.1% Increase 4.8% Decrease 1.1% Decrease

Education

The Turfloop campus of the University of Limpopo is located in Mankweng and the Tshwane University of Technology has a satellite campus in Polokwane.

Although the municipality's overall level of education has improved slightly in recent years, only 24% of the population have attained a Grade 12 education, and only 5.7% have achieved a tertiary education qualification. As a result of low education levels and a largely unskilled population, large numbers of residents earn very little or no income, and poverty is a major problem in the municipal area.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "2007-08 Annual Report" (PDF). www.polokwane.org.za. Retrieved 10-4-09. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. ↑ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa
  6. ↑ "Results Summary – All Ballots: Polokwane" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Seat Calculation Detail: Polokwane" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  8. ↑ "Community Survey, 2007 - Basic Results: Municipalities" (PDF). Statistics South Africa. 2007. Retrieved 10-4-09. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
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