Gamagara Local Municipality

Last updated
Gamagara
Gamagara CoA.png
Map of the Northern Cape with Gamagara highlighted (2011).svg
Location in the Northern Cape
Coordinates: 27°40′S23°00′E / 27.667°S 23.000°E / -27.667; 23.000
Country South Africa
Province Northern Cape
District John Taolo Gaetsewe
Seat Kathu
Wards 8
Government
[1]
  Type Municipal council
  MayorHenriette du Plessis [2] (DA)
Area
  Total
2,619 km2 (1,011 sq mi)
Population
 (2022) [3]
  Total
29,580
  Density11/km2 (29/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2022)
[3]
   Black African 46.2%
   Coloured 33.8%
   Indian/Asian 1.1%
   White 18.8%
First languages (2011)
[4]
   Afrikaans 53.9%
   Tswana 33.7%
   English 3.6%
   Sotho 1.4%
  Other7.4%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeNC453

Gamagara Municipality (Afrikaans : Gamagara Munisipaliteit; Tswana : Mmasepala wa Gamagara) is a local municipality within the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.

Contents

The name Gamogara is of Setswana origin. The municipality is named after a dry river which was in turn named after a man called Mogara of the Makwere clan (Batlhaping). During the early days of exploration, Mogara was the first person to settle in this part of the country. After 1887, the area became dominated by White farmers who then changed the name as they were unable to pronounce it correctly. Hence it was called Gamagara instead of Gamogara. The name is derived from a dry river that ran from Dibeng to join the Kuruman (Segonyana) river at Dikgatlong tsa ga Kganyile. Incidentally, this is the route the Ba ga Motlhware followed on their way to their headquarters, Maje a Mokhothu (Langeberg). [5]

Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places: [6]

PlaceCodeArea (km2)Population
Dibeng 32401 8.584,023
Dingleton 32402 1.562,866
Ditloung 31903 0.623,044
Kathu 32404 8.538,247
Olifantshoek 31907 3.513,985
Remainder of the municipality 32403 2,449.381,048

Demographics

According to the 2022 South African census, the municipality had a population of 29,580 people. Of these, 46.2% identified as "Black African," 33.8% as "Coloured," and 18.8 as "White." [7]

Politics

The municipal council consists of fifteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Eight councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in eight wards, while the remaining seven 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. The following table shows the results of the election. [8] [9]

Gamagara local election, 1 November 2021
PartyVotesSeats
WardListTotal%WardListTotal
African National Congress 4,9734,9619,93443.1%617
Democratic Alliance 3,9314,0057,93634.4%235
Gamagara Community Forum1,5561,5033,05913.3%022
Economic Freedom Fighters 8617981,6597.2%011
Freedom Front Plus 2202184381.9%000
South African Royal Kingdoms Organization636420.2%000
Total11,54711,52123,0688715
Valid votes11,54711,52123,06898.7%
Spoilt votes 1461512971.3%
Total votes cast11,69311,67223,365
Voter turnout11,707
Registered voters23,135
Turnout percentage50.6%

References

  1. "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. Hoo, Sandi Kwon (2023-05-29). "New DA mayor for Gamagara Municipality". DFA. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  3. 1 2 "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  4. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  5. South African Languages - Place names
  6. Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa [ permanent dead link ]
  7. https://citypopulation.de/en/southafrica/admin/northern_cape/NC453__gamagara/ [ bare URL ]
  8. "Results Summary - All Ballots" (PDF). Electoral Commission of South Africa. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  9. "Seat Calculation Detail" (PDF). Electoral Commission of South Africa. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.