Kouga Local Municipality

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Template:Infobox South African municipality The Kouga Local Municipality is located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, approximately 80 km west of Port Elizabeth, and forms part of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. Its territory includes the coastal zone between the Van Stadens River in the east and the Tsitsikamma River in the west, and stretches inland towards the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the north.

Regional access to the area is obtained via the N2 National Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town.

Topography and climate

Causeway over the Seekoei River between Aston Bay and Paradise Beach

The municipality is characterised by 3 main topographical regions:

  • The coastal region stretches from the Van Stadens River in the east through the Tsitsikamma River in the west. This zone includes the towns of Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, and Oyster Bay. The coast serves as a major national and regional tourism attraction.
  • The Gamtoos River Valley is characterised by wide, fertile flood plains associated with low-lying land, with steep less-fertile slopes flanking the Valley. The towns of Hankey and Patensie, Loerie and Thornhill are focal points of this high-potential agricultural region.
  • The Humansdorp and Kruisfontein area is characterised by moderate slopes in the south, with steeper slopes towards the north and northwest.[1]

The four main rivers in the area — the Kromme, Seekoei, Kabeljouws and Gamtoos — are all tidal rivers. The Kromme River and Gamtoos River are significant sources of water supply. Ground water forms another major component of domestic water supply for towns in the Kouga region, especially Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay. Aquifers are also utilised in the agricultural sector for irrigation of pastures.

There are numerous areas of wetland adjacent to the region's rivers and on the coastal platform. These wetlands are extremely sensitive to disturbances such as agricultural activities and development. The wetlands accommodate high species diversity, and fulfil natural water purification and flood retention roles.

The climate of the Kouga region is subtropical, which makes the area conducive to a range of outdoor activities and various types of agricultural production. Rainfall varies between 650 mm per year (St Francis Bay area) to 400 mm (Gamtoos River Valley). The area is generally described as windy.[2]

Towns and settlements

More than 70% of the population of the Kouga region lives in urban areas.[3] Humansdorp, with over 24,000 residents, has an established infrastructure and acts as a regional service centre, supplying the surrounding agricultural communities and the coastal towns with commodities and services. Commercial and industrial activities of the region are centred in Humansdorp.

The coastal towns of Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay are well-established tourist destinations. Jeffreys Bay has a population of over 40,000 with an annual population growth rate of 2.5% or higher, making it one of the fastest growing towns in South Africa.[3]

The urban areas of Hankey and Patensie, situated in the Gamtoos River Valley, provide important services to the surrounding high-density agriculture industry.

Other settlements in the Kouga region include: Andrieskraal, Aston Bay, Centerton, Gamtoos Mouth, Kruisfontein, Kwanomzamo, Loerie, Ocean View, Oyster Bay, Paradise Beach, Pellsrus, Ramaphoza Village, Sea Vista, Thornhill, Tokyo Sexwale, Umzamowethu and Weston.

Politics

The municipal council consists of twenty-nine members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifteen wards, while the remaining fourteen 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 Democratic Alliance (DA) won a majority of seventeen seats on the council, defeating the ANC, which previously controlled the council.

The following table shows the results of the 2016 municipal election.[4][5]

style="width: 2px; background-color: #005BA6;" data-sort-value="Democratic Alliance (South Africa)" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #006600;" data-sort-value="African National Congress" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #852A2A;" data-sort-value="Economic Freedom Fighters" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #ec8713;" data-sort-value="Freedom Front Plus" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politics)" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #ba0c2f;" data-sort-value="African Christian Democratic Party" | style="width: 2px; background-color: lightgrey;" data-sort-value="Patriotic Alliance (South Africa)" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #FFB300;" data-sort-value="United Democratic Movement" |
Party Votes Seats
Ward List Total % Ward List Total
DA 21,364 21,543 42,907 56.5 7 10 17
ANC 15,407 15,409 30,816 40.6 8 4 12
EFF 298 431 729 1.0 0 0 0
FF Plus 274 247 521 0.7 0 0 0
Independent 399 – 399 0.5 0 – 0
ACDP 184 163 347 0.5 0 0 0
Patriotic Alliance 64 95 159 0.2 0 0 0
UDM – 72 72 0.1 0 0 0
Total 37,990 37,960 75,950 100.0 15 14 29
Spoilt votes 426 481 907

Main places

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

Place Code Area (km2) Population Most spoken language
Aston Bay 20801 2.12 918 Afrikaans
Cape St Francis 20802 2.51 165 Afrikaans
Hankey 20803 20.24 8,281 Afrikaans
Humansdorp 20804 35.94 15,338 Afrikaans
Jeffreys Bay 20805 11.25 14,775 Afrikaans
KwaNomzamo 20807 1.21 6,553 Xhosa
Loerie 20808 0.42 1,824 Afrikaans
Oyster Bay 20809 1.34 348 Afrikaans
Paradise Beach 20810 3.79 492 Afrikaans
Patensie 20811 6.68 4,271 Afrikaans
St Francis Bay 20812 7.34 2,195 Afrikaans
Sunnyside 20813 0.14 208 Afrikaans
Thornhill 20814 1.46 1,294 Afrikaans
Weston 20815 0.68 1,540 Xhosa
Remainder of the municipality 20806 2,322.26 12,489 Afrikaans

Notes

  1. ^ "Integrated Development Plan (2007-2012)" (PDF). Kouga Local Municipality. p. 19. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  2. ^ "Integrated Development Plan (2007-2012)" (PDF). Kouga Local Municipality. p. 20. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Integrated Development Plan (2007-2012)" (PDF). Kouga Local Municipality. p. 22. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  4. ^ "Results Summary – All Ballots: Kouga" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Seat Calculation Detail: Kouga" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. ^ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa[permanent dead link]

References

External links

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