Makana Local Municipality
Makana | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
.svg) Location in the Eastern Cape | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Eastern Cape |
| District | Sarah Baartman |
| Seat | Makhanda |
| Wards | 14 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Yandiswa Vara (ANC) |
| • Speaker | Mthuthuzeli Matyumza |
| • Chief Whip | Vacant |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,376 km2 (1,690 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 97,815 |
| • Density | 22/km2 (58/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2022) | |
| • African | 69.8% |
| • Coloured | 12.5% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.9% |
| • White | 11.3% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Xhosa | 71.5% |
| • Afrikaans | 14.8% |
| • English | 10.5% |
| • Other | 3.2% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Municipal code | EC104 |
Makana Municipality (Xhosa: uMasipala wase Makana; Afrikaans: Makana Munisipaliteit) is a local municipality which governs the town of Makhanda and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It forms part of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. The municipality is named after a Xhosa prophet and leader, Makana.[4]
Main places
[edit]The 2011 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[5]
| Place | Code | Population | Area (km2) | Most spoken language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alicedale | 264005 | 1,932 | 3.9 | Afrikaans |
| Makhanda | 264004 | 50,217 | 62.7 | Xhosa |
| KwaNonzwakazi | 264006 | 1,940 | 0.8 | Xhosa |
| Rhini | 264003 | 17,047 | 2.4 | Xhosa |
| Riebeek East | 264001 | 753 | 22.5 | Xhosa |
| Sidbury | 264007 | 115 | 7.9 | Xhosa |
| Non-urban areas | 264002 | 8,386 | 4,275.5 | Xhosa |
| Total | 80,390 | 4,375.6 | Xhosa | |
Politics
[edit]The municipal council consists of twenty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fourteen wards, while the remaining thirteen 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 fourteen seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[6]
| Party | Ward | List | Total seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
| African National Congress | 9,341 | 49.53 | 11 | 9,333 | 51.82 | 3 | 14 | |
| Makana Citizens Front | 3,277 | 17.38 | 0 | 3,396 | 18.86 | 5 | 5 | |
| Democratic Alliance | 3,127 | 16.58 | 2 | 3,182 | 17.67 | 3 | 5 | |
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 1,130 | 5.99 | 0 | 1,050 | 5.83 | 2 | 2 | |
| Independent candidates | 1,099 | 5.83 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Makana Independent New Deal | 330 | 1.75 | 0 | 371 | 2.06 | 0 | 0 | |
| Patriotic Alliance | 184 | 0.98 | 0 | 222 | 1.23 | 0 | 0 | |
| Azanian People's Organisation | 142 | 0.75 | 0 | 172 | 0.95 | 0 | 0 | |
| Freedom Front Plus | 135 | 0.72 | 0 | 136 | 0.76 | 0 | 0 | |
| African Transformation Movement | 95 | 0.50 | 0 | 149 | 0.83 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 18,860 | 100.00 | 14 | 18,011 | 100.00 | 13 | 27 | |
| Valid votes | 18,860 | 98.13 | 18,011 | 96.09 | ||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 360 | 1.87 | 732 | 3.91 | ||||
| Total votes | 19,220 | 100.00 | 18,743 | 100.00 | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 43,664 | 44.02 | 43,664 | 42.93 | ||||
Friendship Co-operation Agreement
[edit]In February 2011, Makana Municipality entered into a "Friendship Co-operation Agreement" with Raseborg Municipality in Finland. The project, which is to last three years, seeks to facilitate information sharing in the fields of economic development, arts & culture, women development, youth development, and education.[7][8]
Provincial Administration
[edit]On 28 August 2014 the Municipality was placed under administration in response to financial and infrastructural crises.[9] The interim administration order, made in terms of section 139(1)(b) of the South African Constitution, is expected to be reviewed after three months.[10] Shortly after the administration order was announced, news of a damning forensic report — the Kabuso report — naming several municipal officials purported to be involved in financial impropriety was made public.[11]
Dissolution
[edit]In 2014 the city council was placed under administration by the courts for three months. This was due to its financial instability and inability to provide basic services.[12] This intervention was not successful[12] and on 14 January 2020, the Eastern Cape High Court dissolved the municipal council. The municipality will subsequently head to fresh elections.[13][14] The Makhanda High Court made legal history by ordering the Makana Municipal Council to be dissolved.[12] The court ruled that its ongoing failure to provide services to the residents of Makhanda was unconstitutional.
Residents of Makhanda have widely welcomed a high court ruling that the Makana Municipal Council must be dissolved over its unconstitutional failure to provide services. It was the first such order by a court in South Africa. “This judgment sparks hope. We couldn’t live like this any more. We are very happy,” said Ayanda Kota, the founder of the Unemployed People's Movement, the organisation that brought the application.[8]
Maladministration
[edit]As of January 2024, the municipality is again under administration, one of 32 in the country, and three in the Eastern Cape where the provincial executive has intervened due to maladministration[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Makana (Local Municipality, South Africa)". City Population. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ South African Languages - Place names
- ^ "Makana Local Municipality". Census 2011.
- ^ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Makana". Election Result Table Generator - Adrian Frith. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ Groepies, Alvaira (25 November 2010). "Finland trip feedback". Makana Municipality. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ^ a b Ellis, Estelle (14 January 2020). "Residents hail high court order dissolving Makana Municipal Council". Daily Maverick.
- ^ "Gordhan seals Makana handover". Grocott's Mail. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ Velaphi, Sithandiwe (29 August 2014). "Makana under administration for 3 months". The New Age. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ "Names behind Makana fiasco". DispatchLIVE. Times Media Group. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ a b c Kotze, Joleen Steyn (20 January 2020). "Landmark court ruling highlights crisis in South Africa's cities and towns". The Conversation. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ Nowicki, Lucas (14 January 2020). "Makana Municipality to be dissolved, placed under administration - court orders". News24. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ Carlisle, Adrienne (14 January 2020). "Court rules Makana council must be dissolved". DispatchLIVE. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ Thorne, Seth. "South Africa's 32 most 'dysfunctional' municipalities". Businesstech. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
External links
[edit]- Makana Municipality
- Makana-Raseborg - blog documenting the progress of the friendship co-operation agreement.
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