Saldanha Bay Local Municipality

Local municipality in Western Cape, South Africa

Saldanha Bay

Saldanhabaai

Local municipality

Seal

Location in the Western Cape

Coordinates: 33°00′S 18°15′E﻿ / ﻿33.000°S 18.250°E﻿ / -33.000; 18.250
Country| South Africa
Province| Western Cape
District| West Coast
Seat| Vredenburg
Wards| 14
Government

[2]

• Type| Municipal council
• Mayor| Andre Truter[1] (DA)
• Acting Municipal Manager| G Smith
Area

• Total| 2,015 km2 (778 sq mi)
Population

(2022)[3]

• Total| 154,635
• Density| 77/km2 (200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2022)

[3]

• Black African| 30.2%
• Coloured| 51.4%
• Indian/Asian| 0.5%
• White| 16.5%
First languages (2011)

[4]

• Afrikaans| 72.5%
• Xhosa| 16.4%
• English| 6.6%
• Sotho| 1.2%
• Other| 3.3%
Time zone| UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code| WC014

Saldanha Bay Municipality (Afrikaans: Saldanhabaai Munisipaliteit; Xhosa: uMasipala wase Saldanha Bay) is a local municipality located within the West Coast District Municipality, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. As of 2011[update], it had a population of 99,193.[3] Its municipality code is WC014.

## Geography

[edit]

Topographic map of the Saldanha Bay Municipality

The municipality covers a total area of 2,015 square kilometres (778 sq mi) which includes the West Coast Peninsula (also known as the Vredenburg Peninsula) and stretches southeast to include the West Coast National Park and the area around Hopefield. It abuts on the Bergrivier Municipality to the north and the Swartland Municipality to the east and south.

According to the 2011 census the municipality has a population of 99,193 people in 28,835 households. Of this population, 55.8% describe themselves as "Coloured", 24.5% as "Black African", and 18.0% as "White". The first language of 72.5% of the population is Afrikaans, while 16.4% speak Xhosa, 6.6% speak English and 1.2% speak Sotho.[5]

The seat of the municipality and its largest town is Vredenburg, which is situated in the center of the eponymous peninsula and according to the 2011 census has a population of 38,382. To the south of Vredenburg is the harbour town of Saldanha (pop. 28,142) on the edge of Saldanha Bay. There are several other fishing and holiday towns on the coast of the municipality: St Helena Bay (pop. 11,529) on the northern coast of the Vredenburg Peninsula, Paternoster (pop. 1,971) and Jacobsbaai (pop. 416) on the western coast of the peninsula, and Langebaan (pop. 8,297) on the opposite side of Saldanha Bay from Saldanha. In the interior of the municipality is the town of Hopefield (pop. 6,460) and the village and air force base at Langebaanweg (pop. 952).

## History

[edit]

The towns of Vredenburg and Saldanha were united under a single Vredenburg-Saldanha Municipality in 1975. At the end of the apartheid era, in the area that is today the Saldanha Bay Municipality there were also municipal councils for Hopefield, Langebaan and St Helena Bay. These councils were elected by the white residents, while the coloured residents of the towns were governed by management committees subordinate to the white councils.

While the negotiations to end apartheid were taking place a process was established for local authorities to negotiate voluntary mergers. Hopefield took part in this process, merging the municipal council with the management committee in November 1992. Langebaan did the same in April 1993.

After the national elections of 1994 a process of local government transformation began, in which negotiations were held between the existing local authorities, political parties, and local community organisations. As a result of these negotiations, the existing local authorities were dissolved and transitional local councils (TLCs) were created in January 1995. The Hopefield and Langebaan municipalities were each replaced with a TLC. The West Coast Peninsula TLC replaced the Vredenburg-Saldanha Municipality, the St Helena Bay Municipality, and their respective management committees.

The transitional councils were initially made up of members nominated by the various parties to the negotiations, until May 1996 when elections were held. At these elections the West Coast District Council was established, replacing the West Coast Regional Services Council. Transitional representative councils (TRCs) were also elected to represent rural areas outside the TLCs on the District Council; the area that was to become Bergrivier Municipality included part of the Malmesbury TRC.

At the local elections of December 2000 the TLCs and TRCs were dissolved and the Saldanha Bay Municipality was established as a single local authority incorporating both rural and urban areas. In 2006 the boundary of the municipality was adjusted slightly to transfer a strip of land on the left bank of the Berg River (adjacent to Velddrif) to the Bergrivier Local Municipality. In 2011 the West Coast National Park, previously a District Management Areas, was added to the municipality when District Management Areas were abolished.

## Politics

[edit]

Main article: Saldanha Bay Local Municipality elections

This article is part of a series on the

Politics of the
Western Cape

Constitution

List of acts of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament

Executive

Premier

The Hon Alan Winde MMP

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Western Cape Parliament

The Seventh Provincial Parliament

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Speaker
Daylin Mitchell MMP
Deputy Speaker
Reagan Allen MMP

* * *

Chief Whip of the Majority Party
Gillon Bosman MMP
Leader of the Opposition
Khalid Sayed MMP
Chief Whip of the Official Opposition
Ayanda Bans MMP

* * *

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Judiciary

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Administrative divisions

List of municipalities in the Western Cape

Elections

Provincial:

1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024

Municipal:

2000 2006 2011 2016 2021

Related topics

* Cape Independence
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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 Democratic Alliance (DA) won a plurality of thirteen seats on the council.

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[6]

Saldanha Bay local election, 1 November 2021

Party | Votes | Seats
Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total
| Democratic Alliance | 14,190 | 14,524 | 28,714 | 46.3% | 10 | 3 | 13
| African National Congress | 6,613 | 6,809 | 13,422 | 21.7% | 4 | 2 | 6
| Good | 4,329 | 4,230 | 8,559 | 13.8% | 0 | 4 | 4
| Freedom Front Plus | 1,546 | 1,334 | 2,880 | 4.6% | 0 | 1 | 1
| Patriotic Alliance | 1,365 | 1,309 | 2,674 | 4.3% | 0 | 1 | 1
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 933 | 988 | 1,921 | 3.1% | 0 | 1 | 1
| Cape Coloured Congress | 436 | 441 | 877 | 1.4% | 0 | 1 | 1
| Independent candidates | 424 | – | 424 | 0.7% | 0 | – | 0
| 6 other parties  | 1,259 | 1,236 | 2,495 | 4.0% | 0 | 0 | 0
Total | 31,095 | 30,871 | 61,966 |  | 14 | 13 | 27
Valid votes  | 31,095 | 30,871 | 61,966 | 98.8%
Spoilt votes | 257 | 483 | 740 | 1.2%
Total votes cast | 31,352 | 31,354 | 62,706 |
Voter turnout  | 31,445
Registered voters  | 61,441
Turnout percentage  | 51.2%

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Saldanha Bay Municipality". Saldanha Bay Municipality – The Saldanha Bay Municipality. Postal Address. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
2. ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
3. ^ a b c "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
4. ^ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
5. ^ "Saldanha Bay Local Municipality". Census 2011.
6. ^ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Saldanha Bay". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 2021-11-08.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Saldanha Bay Local Municipality on the Western Cape Government website

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape

District seat: Moorreesburg

Matzikama|

* Bitterfontein
* Doringbaai
* Ebenhaeser
* Klawer
* Kliprand
* Koekenaap
* Lutzville
* Nuwerus
* Papendorp
* Rietpoort
* Strandfontein
* Vanrhynsdorp
* Vredendal

West Coast District within South Africa

Cederberg|

* Citrusdal
* Clanwilliam
* Elands Bay
* Graafwater
* Lambert's Bay
* Leipoldtville
* Wupperthal

Bergrivier|

* Aurora
* Dwarskersbos
* Eendekuil
* Goedverwacht
* Piketberg
* Porterville
* Redelinghuys
* Velddrif
* Wittewater

Saldanha Bay|

* Britannia Bay
* Hopefield
* Jacobsbaai
* Langebaan
* Langebaanweg
* Paternoster
* Saldanha
* St Helena Bay
* Stompneus Bay
* Vredenburg

Swartland|

* Abbotsdale
* Chatsworth
* Darling
* Esterhof
* Grotto Bay
* Jakkalsfontein
* Kalbaskraal
* Koringberg
* Malmesbury
* Moorreesburg
* Riebeek-Kasteel
* Riebeek West
* Yzerfontein

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities of the Western Cape

Metropolitan|

City of Cape Town

District
and local|

| West Coast|

* Matzikama
* Cederberg
* Bergrivier
* Saldanha Bay
* Swartland

|

Cape Winelands|

* Witzenberg
* Drakenstein
* Stellenbosch
* Breede Valley
* Langeberg

Overberg|

* Theewaterskloof
* Overstrand
* Cape Agulhas
* Swellendam

Garden Route|

* Kannaland
* Hessequa
* Mossel Bay
* George
* Oudtshoorn
* Bitou
* Knysna

Central Karoo|

* Laingsburg
* Prince Albert
* Beaufort West

List of municipalities in the Western Cape
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