Showing 1599 results

The community council system introduced by the Community Councils Act, 1997 (Act 125 of 1997) functioned as the forerunner of municipal authorities for Black urban areas. The latter were established in terms of the Black Local Authorities Act, 1982 (Act 102 of 1982) and replaced the councils. The new Black local authorities were comparable with those existing for white areas (JJN Cloete: South African Local Government and Administration, 1989, p 27).

Mfuleni was one of seven townships with an own local town council in the Western Cape metropolitan area, established in terms of the Black Local Authorities Act, 1982. The town was established as a transit area for migrant workers in 1974, prior to this act. It consisted mainly of hostels, until some free-standing homes were erected in 1976 (Correspondence file of Mfuleni Town Council, 10/1/3/3).

Extensive changes at local government level were brought about by the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993). Previously separate local authorities were amalgamated and the creation of metropoles and substructures were provided for. In terms of this act, the Cape Metropolitan Council was established in 1995. One of the substructures under its control was that of Tygerberg which was made up of the municipalities of Bellville, Parow, Durbanville, Mfuleni, Lingelethu West and areas such as Elsies River, Belhar, Matroosfontein, Delft, Richwood and Bothasig (Provincial Gazette of the Western Cape Province, No 4929 of 6 February 1995, Proclamation No 18 of 3 February 1995).

The Municipality of Tulbagh was constituted on 27 August 1861 in terms of Proclamation No 61, 1861 under provision of Ordinance No 9, 1836 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 3285, 3 September 1861).

The lacunae in the archives up to 1969 resulted from the earthquake which occurred in Tulbagh during that year (Cape Archives File 12/4/2 Tulbagh Vol 1).

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Tulbagh Municipality together with the Municipality of Ceres, Matroosberg Transitional Representative Council, Municipality of Prince Alfred’s Hamlet, Witzenberg Transitional Representative Council and Municipality of Wolseley was disestablished and the Witzenberg Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5590, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 487, 22 September 2000). The Witzenberg Local Municipality forms part of the larger Cape Winelands District Municipality.

The Village Management Board of Glen Lily, Fairfield and Parow was constituted on 4 December 1903 under provision of Proclamation No 369 in terms of the Villages Management Act, 1881 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette, No 8605, 15 December 1903).

The Municipality of Parow was established with effect from 8 September 1939 under provision of Proclamation No 126 of 1939 in terms of Ordinance No 10 of 1921 and Ordinance No 10 of 1912 (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette, No 440, 8 September 1939).

In terms of Proclamation No 27 of 28 May 1996 the Tygerberg Substructure was established on 29 May 1996 with the amalgamation of Parow, Bellville, Goodwood, Lingelethu West, Durbanville, Mfuleni and parts of Cape Town, Milnerton and the Cape Metropolitan Board (The Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary, No 5051, 28 May 1996).

The purpose of the Department of Agricultural Credit and Land Tenure was to promote the stabilisation of the undertakings of farmers and prospective farmers who could not obtain credit from normal financial institutions, and to acquire land and control State land.

ORGANISATION AND MAIN FUNCTIONS

Land Tenure Board: Advised the Minister on the value of land, and any rights in or over land; the alienation and allocation of non-agricultural State land, and on any other matter which the Minister may refer to the Board.

Agricultural Credit Board: Decisions on the nature and extent of assistance to farmers or prospective farmers, as well as the conditions of such assistance. The Board was assisted by agricultural credit committees in each magisterial district. The Board also advised the Minister on matters concerning agricultural land.

Land Acquisition Branch: Acquisition of land for specific public purposes.

State Land Control Branch: Control over the State's interests in land.

Assistance Branch: Granting of financial assistance for agricultural purposes.

Survey Branch: Control of all matters regarding cadastral, topographic and geodetic surveying. The Branch consisted of two main divisions, namely the offices of the surveyors-general which dealt with cadastral surveys on a provincial basis, and the trigonometrical survey office which controlled topographic, cartographic and geodetic work.

National Parks Board of Trustees: This Board was a statutory board controlling State land proclaimed national parks. The Department made available the required land as well as certain funds, and handled all legislative measures.

The Publications & Entertainments Act No 26 of 1963 "created a central body, the Publications Control Board, to decide on the compatibility of publications (excluding newspapers), objects, films, and public entertainments with certain standards of indecency and obscenity... A right of appeal did, however, lie from a decision of this Board to the Supreme Court, except in the case of films where there was an appeal only to the Minister of the Interior".

The Publications Act, 1974 (Act No 42 of 1974) came into operation on 1 April 1975 and replaced and repealed the Publications Entertainment Act, 1963.

The Colonial Secretary was the most important government official at the Cape during the Second British Occupation. Initially, the majority of the governmental administrative powers were vested in him. The constitutional changes during the latter half of the nineteenth century resulted in an increase in the number of government departments and a decentralisation of functions.

After the capitulation of the Colony to the British authorities in 1806 a Secretary to Government was nominated, but only in May 1807 was a permanent Secretary and Register of Records appointed, who was to be assisted by a deputy.

All acts done and order issued in the name of the Governor were to be by the Secretary and Register of Records, and fees, which would be audited and paid to His Majesty’s Receiver General quarterly, were to be received in his office. As administrative head all letters and memorials from departments and individuals on colonial and civil matters were to be sent to the Colonial Secretary’s Office.

The Colonial Secretary often officiated as head of government during the Governor’s absence, although he was not officially empowered to do so.

The Colonial Secretary was, by virtue of his position, to be a member of the Executive and Legislative Councils which were established in 1834. After the introduction of representative government in 1854, the Colonial Secretary was permitted to take part in discussions in both the House of Assembly and Legislative Council, but could not vote.

In 1872 the Cape Colony received responsible government which resulted in the establishment of the ministerial divisions of the Colonial Secretary, the Secretary for Native Affairs, the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Public Works and the Attorney-General. Each ministerial head was responsible for the duties connected with the administration and accounting of various government departments. The Colonial Secretary’s portfolio included the departments of his own office, agriculture, divisional courts and police, education, post office, and medicine (hospitals), and these departments therefore correspond with and reported to him.

For practical purposes the ministerial portfolios were altered from time to time. In 1892 the duties connected with the various agriculture departments and in 1893 those connected with the post office, agent-general and auditor-general were transferred from the Colonial Secretary to the Treasurer, in in 1894 those of the divisional courts and police to the Attorney-General. Certain departments, formerly attached to the divisions of other ministers, were again assigned to that of the Colonial Secretary, for example the departments of printing and stationary in 1882, of convicts, prisons, industries and the Porter Reformatory in 1894, defence and the Cape Mounted Police in 1904, and the newly established Department of Public Health in 1907.

Within the Colonial Secretary’s department itself the volume of correspondence and administrative duties resulted in the creation of branches of the office. In 1891 a chief clerk was appointed to head the local government and public health branch. On the establishment of a separate public health department in 1907 the title of the branch was altered to the Local Government and Hospitals Branch.

In 1902 the administrative and convict branches were amalgamated under a chief clerk. The title of the Defence and Police Branch, which resulted after the transfer of the administration of the respective departments in 1904, was changed to the Defence Branch on the assigning of the administration of the Cape Mounted Police to the Attorney-General’s portfolio in 1908. The Defence Branch of the Colonial Secretary’s Office continued to handle matters relating to defence such as medals, arms and ammunition and explosives.

From 1905 an officer was placed in charge of the Immigration and Labour Branch of the Colonial Secretary’s Office to exercise the duties of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1904) and the Immigration Act (1902) formerly performed by the Medical Officer of Health.

The Colonial Secretary’s department was also responsible for performing the duties in connection with specific acts. From 1883 all applications for naturalisation papers were to be made to him whereas such applications had formerly been in the form of memorials addressed to the Governor. From 1891 the management of the Life Assurance Act (1891) was assigned to the Colonial Secretary’s department. In 1899 the sale of arms and ammunition was limited with permits obtainable from the Colonial Secretary.

On the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910 the office of the Colonial Secretary was abolished, and the duties assigned to the Minister of the Interior.