Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality
Metropolitan municipality in Free State, South Africa
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The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (Sotho: Masepala o Moholo wa Mangaung; Zulu: UMasipala weDolobhakazi laseMangawunge; Afrikaans: Mangaung Metropolitaanse Munisipaliteit; Tswana: Mmasepala wa Toropokgolo ya Mangaung; Xhosa: uMasipala oMbaxa wase Mangaung) is a metropolitan municipality which governs Bloemfontein and surrounding towns in the Free State province of South Africa. Mangaung is a Sesotho word meaning "place of cheetahs", as it was not uncommon for the Basotho to name warrior regiments after ferocious animals.
Mangaung
Bloemfontein | |
|---|---|
| Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality | |
|
Seal | |
.svg) Location in the Free State | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Free State |
| Seat | Bloemfontein |
| Wards | 51 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Gregory Nthatisi (ANC) |
| Area | |
• Total | 9,886 km2 (3,817 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 811,431 |
| • Density | 82.08/km2 (212.6/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2022) | |
| • Black African | 87.9% |
| • Coloured | 3.8% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.4% |
| • White | 7.8% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Sotho | 53.3% |
| • Afrikaans | 16.2% |
| • Tswana | 12.6% |
| • Xhosa | 9.9% |
| • Other | 8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Municipal code | MAN |
In the municipal elections held on 1 November 2021, the African National Congress won 51 out of 100 seats on the Metro Council, while the Democratic Alliance won 26 seats and the Economic Freedom Fighters won 12 seats.
History
Mangaung was established in 2000 as a local municipality within the Motheo District Municipality.[4] At the municipal elections of 18 May 2011, Mangaung was converted into a metropolitan municipality.[4] At the municipal elections of 3 August 2016, the Naledi Local Municipality was incorporated into Mangaung.[5] This 2016 merge increased Mangaung's land area from 6,284 square kilometres (2,426 mi2) to 9,886 square kilometres (3,817 mi2), making it the largest of the eight metropolitan municipalities in South Africa.[6]
Main places
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[7]
| Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | Most spoken language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barolong Baga Moroka | 40501 | 911.66 | 8,556 | Sotho |
| Bloemfontein | 40502 | 287.46 | 111,697 | Afrikaans |
| Botshabelo | 40503 | 228.79 | 175,822 | Sotho |
| Mangaung | 40504 | 46.23 | 217,076 | Sotho |
| Morago | 40505 | 221.37 | 3,941 | Tswana |
| Opkoms | 40506 | 2.84 | 15,397 | Afrikaans |
| Peter Swart | 40507 | 1.97 | 10,002 | Sotho |
| Rodenbeck | 40508 | 2.05 | 7,837 | Sotho |
| Sonskyn | 40509 | 0.80 | 3,630 | Sotho |
| Thaba 'Nchu | 40510 | 216.23 | 67,269 | Sotho |
| Remainder of the municipality | 40511 | 4,364.11 | 24,220 | Sotho |
Politics
The municipal council consists of one hundred members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifty wards, while the remaining fifty are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the 2021 South African municipal elections of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of fifty-one seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[8]
| Party | Ward | List | Total seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||
| African National Congress | 87,100 | 49.75 | 40 | 90,672 | 51.51 | 11 | 51 | |
| Democratic Alliance | 45,482 | 25.98 | 11 | 44,857 | 25.48 | 15 | 26 | |
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 19,681 | 11.24 | 0 | 20,018 | 11.37 | 12 | 12 | |
| Freedom Front Plus | 7,970 | 4.55 | 0 | 7,771 | 4.41 | 5 | 5 | |
| Patriotic Alliance | 3,196 | 1.83 | 0 | 3,126 | 1.78 | 2 | 2 | |
| Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats | 2,821 | 1.61 | 0 | 2,220 | 1.26 | 2 | 2 | |
| African Independent Congress | 2,970 | 1.70 | 0 | 1,484 | 0.84 | 1 | 1 | |
| African Christian Democratic Party | 1,292 | 0.74 | 0 | 1,224 | 0.70 | 1 | 1 | |
| African Transformation Movement | 1,018 | 0.58 | 0 | 1,071 | 0.61 | 1 | 1 | |
| Independent candidates | 992 | 0.57 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 14 other parties | 2,555 | 1.46 | 0 | 3,583 | 2.04 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 175,077 | 100.00 | 51 | 176,026 | 100.00 | 50 | 101 | |
| Valid votes | 175,077 | 98.40 | 176,026 | 98.47 | ||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 2,850 | 1.60 | 2,736 | 1.53 | ||||
| Total votes | 177,927 | 100.00 | 178,762 | 100.00 | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 410,785 | 43.31 | 410,785 | 43.52 | ||||
Maladministration
Since April 2022, the municipality is under administration, one of 32 in the country, and three in the Free State where the provincial executive has intervened due to maladministration.[9]
Mayors of Mangaung
The following people have served as the Executive Mayor of the municipality since its founding in 2000:
- Pappi Mokoena (ANC), 2001–2005[10]
- Eva Moiloa (acting) (ANC), 2005–2006[10]
- Gertrude Mothupi (ANC), 2006–2008[11]
- France Kosinyane "Playfair" Morule (ANC), 2008–2011[12]
- Thabo Manyoni (ANC), 2011–2016[13]
- Olly Mlamleli (ANC), 2016–2020[14]
- Lebohang Masoetsa (acting) (ANC), 2020–16 August 2021[15]
- Mxolisi Siyonzana (ANC), 16 August 2021–6 March 2023[16]
- Papi Mokoena (AASD), 14 April 2023 – 20 April 2023[17]
- Gregory Nthatisi (ANC), 13 October 2023 – present (acting since 26 April 2023)[18]