Govan Mbeki Local Municipality (formerly Highveld East Local Municipality) is a South African local municipality situated in the Gert Sibande District Municipality, of Mpumalanga. Secunda is the seat of the municipality.
Govan Mbeki | |
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Local municipality | |
![]() Seal | |
![]() Location in Mpumalanga | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Mpumalanga |
District | Gert Sibande |
Seat | Secunda |
Wards | 32 |
Government | |
• Type | Municipal council |
• Mayor | Thandi Ngxonono |
Area | |
• Total | 2,955 km2 (1,141 sq mi) |
Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 294,538 |
• Density | 100/km2 (260/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 80.5% |
• Coloured | 1.5% |
• Indian/Asian | 1.5% |
• White | 16.0% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Zulu | 47.4% |
• Afrikaans | 15.9% |
• Southern Ndebele | 7.7% |
• Sotho | 6.0% |
• Other | 23% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Municipal code | MP307 |
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[3]
Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | Most spoken language |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bethal | 80701 | 101.50 | 8,512 | Afrikaans |
Brendan Village | 80702 | 0.66 | 277 | Afrikaans |
Charl Cilliers | 80703 | 1.58 | 210 | Zulu |
Eendrag | 80704 | 1.85 | 293 | Afrikaans |
Embalenhle | 80705 | 13.63 | 91,751 | Zulu |
eMzinoni | 80706 | 5.19 | 31,012 | Zulu |
Evander | 80707 | 40.15 | 8,212 | Afrikaans |
Highveld Ridge Mines | 80709 | 71.84 | 325 | Zulu |
Kinross | 80710 | 3.99 | 4,906 | English |
Leandra | 80711 | 1.59 | 9 | Zulu |
Lebogang | 80712 | 3.88 | 19,396 | Zulu |
Leslie | 80713 | 2.08 | 761 | Afrikaans |
Leslie Gold Mines | 80714 | 0.19 | 0 | - |
Mandela Section | 80715 | 0.23 | 1,083 | Xhosa |
Milan Park | 80716 | 1.74 | 4,760 | Zulu |
Secunda | 80717 | 150.71 | 26,125 | Afrikaans |
Sorento Park | 80718 | 0.95 | 12 | Afrikaans/Zulu |
Trichardt | 80719 | 1.53 | 1,973 | Afrikaans |
Remainder of the municipality | 80708 | 2,555.68 | 22,132 | Zulu |
The municipal council consists of sixty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-two councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-two wards, while the remaining thirty-one 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 3 August 2016 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of thirty-six seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[4][5]
Party | Votes | Seats | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total | ||
ANC | 43,198 | 43,441 | 86,639 | 57.0 | 26 | 10 | 36 | |
Democratic Alliance | 18,504 | 17,910 | 36,414 | 23.9 | 6 | 9 | 15 | |
EFF | 10,135 | 10,006 | 20,141 | 13.2 | 0 | 9 | 9 | |
Freedom Front Plus | 1,951 | 1,677 | 3,628 | 2.4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Sakhisizwe Progressive Movement | 949 | 930 | 1,879 | 1.2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
COPE | 243 | 658 | 901 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Independent | 627 | – | 627 | 0.4 | 0 | – | 0 | |
IFP | 191 | 410 | 601 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
African People's Convention | 326 | 271 | 597 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Singukukhanya Kwezwe Christian Party | 149 | 147 | 296 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
African Peace Party | 58 | 204 | 262 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Sindawonye Progressive Party | 60 | 75 | 135 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 76,391 | 75,729 | 152,120 | 100.0 | 32 | 31 | 63 | |
Spoilt votes | 1,179 | 1,229 | 2,408 |
In a by-election held on 9 October 2019, a ward previously held by a DA councillor was won by the ANC candidate.[6] The council was reconfigured as seen below:
Party | Ward | PR list | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
ANC | 27 | 10 | 37 | |
Democratic Alliance | 5 | 9 | 14 | |
EFF | 0 | 9 | 9 | |
Freedom Front Plus | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
Sakhisizwe Progressive Movement | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Total | 32 | 31 | 63 |
After allegations of endemic corruption a forensic investigation was launched by the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG). The Section 106 forensic investigation report released in 2020 revealed extensive political interference in its administration.[7] The report revealed non-implementation of council resolutions, abuse of municipal property and assets, advertisement of tenders without following legislation and awarding of bursaries without following procedures. Senior positions were occupied by politically affiliated persons who lacked the minimum required qualifications or even a matric certificate. In addition several companies that got preferential treatment had senior politicians on their payroll. The senior politician and executive mayor, Ms Thandi Ngxonono, was implicated in the report and took special leave.[7]
Municipalities of Mpumalanga | ||||||||
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District and local |
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List of municipalities in Mpumalanga |
Municipalities and communities of Gert Sibande District Municipality, Mpumalanga | ||
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District seat: Ermelo | ||
Govan Mbeki |
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Albert Luthuli |
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Mkhondo |
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Msukaligwa |
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Lekwa |
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Pixley ka Seme |
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Dipaleseng |
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