Showing 143 results

On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Councils of Malmesbury and Piquetberg were reconstituted together to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Swartland (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 of 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 of 18 July 1979).

On 31 March 1989 the Divisional Council Areas of Swartland and Cederberg were established as the West Coast Regional Services Council (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4580 of 31 March 1989, Provincial Notice No 335 of 31 March 1989)

The Board of Public Roads for the Division of Stellenbosch was established together with and complementary to the Central Board of Commissioners for Public Roads on 22 November 1843 in terms of Ordinance No 8 of 1843. The function of the board was to maintain and improve branch roads in the said division. The board ceased to exist on the formation of the Stellenbosch Divisional Council in July 1855.

The Divisional Council of Stellenbosch was established on 12 July 1855 in terms of Act No 5 of 1855.

On 1 July 1987 the Divisional Council areas of Stellenbosch, Cape and Paarl were established as the Western Cape Regional Services Council in terms of the Regional Services Councils Act of 1985 (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette, No 4460 of 9 January 1987, Provincial Notice No 4 of 9 January 1987).

On 25 September 1905 the division of Montagu was subdivided into six districts for Divisional Council purposes under provision of Act No 31 of 1899 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 8795a dated 13 October 1905, Proclamation No 360 dated 25 September 1905).

On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Montagu was reconstituted together with the Divisional Council of Robertson to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Wynland (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 dated 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 dated 18 July 1979).

On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Councils of Robertson and Montagu were reconstituted together to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Wynland (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 of 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 of 18 July 1979).

On 31 March 1989 the Divisional Council Area of Wynland and portions of the Divisional Council Areas of Witzenberg and Matroosberg were established as the Breërivier Regional Services Council (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4580 of 31 March 1989, Provincial Notice No 331 of 31 March 1989).

The Municipality of Oudtshoorn was constituted on 26 August 1863 under provision of Proclamation No 29 of 1863 in terms of Ordinance No 9 of 1836 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette, No 3497, 1 September 1863).

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Oudtshoorn Municipality as well as the De Rust/Blomnek Transitional Local Council, Bo-Langkloof Transitional Representative Council, Dysselsdorp Transitional Council and Oudtshoorn Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5592, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 502, 22 September 2000). The Oudtshoorn Local Municipality forms part of the larger Garden Route District Municipality (previously known as the Eden District Municipality).

On 28 January 1858 the division of Oudtshoorn was subdivided into six districts for Divisional Council purposes of Act No 5 of 1855 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 2899 dated 29 January 1858, Proclamation dated 28 January 1858). The first meeting of the Council was held on 23 June 1858.

On 1 July 1976 the Divisional Council of Oudtshoorn was reconstituted with the Divisional Council of Uniondale to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Klein Karoo-Langkloof.

Cape Town first received local self-government in 1839, with the promulgation of a municipal ordinance by the government of the Cape Colony. When it was created, the Cape Town municipality governed only the central part of the city known as the City Bowl, and as the city expanded, new suburbs became new municipalities, until by 1902 there were 10 separate municipalities in the Cape Peninsula. During the 20th century, many of the inner suburban municipalities became unsustainable; in 1913 the first major unification took place when the municipalities of Cape Town, Green Point and Sea Point, Woodstock, Mowbray, Rondebosch, Claremont, Maitland, and Kalk Bay were unified to create the first City of Cape Town. In 1927 the municipality of Wynberg was also merged with Cape Town, with the result that all of the Southern Suburbs were incorporated into the City.

Many new municipalities were established during the 20th century. Durbanville achieved municipal status in 1901, Goodwood in 1938, Parow in 1939, Bellville and Fish Hoek in 1940, Pinelands in 1948, Kuils River in 1950, Milnerton in 1955, Kraaifontein in 1957, Gordon's Bay in 1961, Brackenfell in 1970. In 1979 Bellville was upgraded to city status. The areas not included in a municipality were governed by divisional councils. Most of the Cape metropolitan area fell under the Divisional Council of the Cape, while the eastern parts around Brackenfell, Kuils River and the Helderberg area formed part of the Divisional Council of Stellenbosch, and an area in the northeast around Kraaifontein formed part of the Divisional Council of Paarl.

In earlier years the right to vote in local elections was not restricted by race, but the policies of the apartheid government aimed for complete segregation of local government. A 1962 amendment to the Group Areas Act introduced management committees for the areas designated for Coloured and Indian residents. These management committees were subordinate to the existing local authority – either a municipality or the divisional council. From 1972 no new non-white voters could be registered as voters for municipal or divisional councils, and existing non-white voters lost their voting rights when a management committee was established for the area where they lived.

In 1982 the Black Local Authorities Act created elected town councils for black communities. Five such councils were established in the Cape metropolitan areas. They were generally regarded as under-resourced and unsustainable, and were opposed by the United Democratic Front and other civic organisations. Turnout in BLA elections was very low.

In 1987 the divisional councils of the Cape, Paarl and Stellenbosch were dissolved, and the Western Cape Regional Services Council (RSC) was created in their place. The RSC councils were indirectly elected, consisting of representatives nominated by all the local authorities within its area, including municipalities, management committees and town councils. The Cape Rural Council represented the rural areas of the RSC that were not included in any local authority. Also in 1987, an act of the House of Assembly allowed the creation of local councils for white communities in peri-urban areas.

Thus at the end of apartheid in 1994, there were over 50 different local authorities in existence in the metropolitan area, listed below.
• Western Cape Regional Services Council (RSC)
o Cape Rural Council
• Cities
o City of Cape Town
o City of Bellville
• Municipalities
o Brackenfell Municipality
o Durbanville Municipality
o Fish Hoek Municipality
o Goodwood Municipality
o Gordon's Bay Municipality
o Kraaifontein Municipality
o Kuils River Municipality
o Milnerton Municipality
o Parow Municipality
o Pinelands Municipality
o Simon's Town Municipality
o Somerset West Municipality
o Strand Municipality
• Management Committees (indicating in brackets the local authority to which they were subordinated)
o Athlone and District MC (City of Cape Town)
o Atlantis MC (RSC)
o Belhar MC (RSC)
o Cravenby MC (RSC)
o Elsie's River MC (RSC)
o Grassy Park MC (RSC)
o Kensington MC (City of Cape Town)
o Kraaifontein MC (Kraaifontein Municipality)
o Macassar MC (RSC)
o Matroosfontein/Nooitgedacht MC (RSC)
o Melton Rose/Blue Downs/Delft MC (RSC)
o Mitchells Plain MC (City of Cape Town)
o Morningstar MC (Durbanville Municipality)
o Ocean View MC (RSC)
o Proteaville MC (City of Bellville)
o Ravensmead MC (Parow Municipality)
o Retreat/Steenberg MC (City of Cape Town)
o Rylands Estate MC (City of Cape Town)
o Sarepta MC (Kuils River Municipality)
o Schotschekloof MC (City of Cape Town)
o Scottsdene MC (RSC)
o Sir Lowry's Pass MC (RSC)
o Strand MC (Strand Municipality)
o Strandfontein MC (City of Cape Town)
o Temperance Town MC (Gordon's Bay Municipality)
o Wittebome/Wynberg MC (City of Cape Town)
o Woodstock/Walmer Estate/Salt River MC (City of Cape Town)
• Town Councils
o Crossroads Town Council
o iKapa Town Council (Langa, Gugulethu and Nyanga)
o Lingelethu West Town Council (Khayelitsha)
o Lwandle Town Council
o Mfuleni Town Council
• Local Councils
o Atlantis Industria LC
o Bloubergstrand LC
o Constantia LC
o Kommetjie LC
o Llandudno LC
o Melkbosstrand LC
o Noordhoek LC
o Ottery East LC
o Scarborough LC
• Mamre Board of Management

As part of the post-1994 reforms, municipal government experienced a complete overhaul. The existing local authorities, political parties, ratepayers' organisations, and community organisations were brought together into a negotiating forum. This forum agreed on the creation of a two-level local government system consisting of multiple transitional metropolitan substructures (TMSs), brought together in a transitional metropolitan council named the Cape Metropolitan Council (CMC). The CMC would replace the Regional Services Council and take over its responsibilities; it would also be responsible for metro-level planning and co-ordination, improving service delivery in disadvantaged areas, and cross-subsidization of poorer areas with revenue from affluent areas. Initially, in a period called the "pre-interim phase", the existing local authorities would become TMSs but their councils would be replaced by councillors nominated by the members of the negotiating forum. This agreement came into effect, and the pre-interim phase began, on 1 February 1995.

The second phase of the transformation, known as the "interim phase" began on 29 May 1996 when local elections were held. The pre-interim TMSs were dissolved, and six new TMSs were established covering the whole metropolitan area: City of Cape Town (Central), City of Tygerberg, South Peninsula Municipality, Blaauwberg Municipality, Oostenberg Municipality, and Helderberg Municipality. The Cape Metropolitan Council continued with its coordinating functions.

In 1998 Parliament enacted legislation (the Municipal Structures Act) determining the final form of local government in post-apartheid South Africa. This legislation determined that metropolitan areas would be governed by unified metropolitan municipalities. Local elections were held on 5 December 2000; the Cape Metropolitan Council and the six interim TMSs were dissolved and replaced by the unified City of Cape Town. It is for this reason that the City of Cape Town is sometimes referred to as the "Unicity". At the time of the 2000 election the northern boundary of the metropolitan area was also extended to include Philadelphia, Klipheuwel, and the surrounding farmland.

The current municipality covers Cape Point in the south-west, Somerset West in the south-east, and Atlantis in the north, and includes Robben Island.

A few weeks after assuming duty as Commander at the Cape, on 12 October 1679, Simon van der Stel undertook a tour of inspection into the interior where he discovered the fertile valley which he called the Stellenbosch (“Stel en Bosch”).

The particularly advantageous conditions for land ownership encouraged settlement in the valley and by May 1680 eight families were already settled there.

To settle disputes between the burghers of the new district over matters like farm boundaries and roads, a Court of Heemraden consisting of four inhabitants of the district, was established on 31 August 1682. The court, which had to report to Government, was an unofficial body without clearly defined powers.

On April 1685 Commissioner HA van Reede arrived at the Cape as the head of a Commission of Enquiry into Company matters. He made numerous changes in the local administration at the Cape. A landdrost was appointed at Stellenbosch who, as chairman of the Heemraden, acted as a court to settle disputes over boundaries, roads, etc and try cases not exceeding the sum of 50 rixdollars. Appeals could be made against decisions of the College of Heemraden except in minor cases and disputes not exceeding 25 guilders. The landdrost’s duties also include social matters.

In 1688 and the subsequent years the white population at the Cape increased as a result of the arrival of the Huguenots who established themselves mainly in the Stellenbosch and Drakenstein district, as the district of Stellenbosch was then known. Since 1697 the Drakenstein area formed an almost separate administrative unit with its own heemraad.

The district of Stellenbosch initially comprised the entire interior of the settlement at the Cape. As the boundaries of the district expanded, a need was felt to establish a new magistracy in the far interior to attend to the needs of the burghers. This resulted in the establishment of the district of Swellendam in August 1745 and the revision of the limits of Stellenbosch and the area of jurisdiction of the Landdrost and Heemraden of Stellenbosch and Drakenstein.

The settlement at the Cape continued to expand and the boundaries of the districts had to be altered continually. In 1803 the settlement consisted of four districts, ie Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Swellendam and Graaff-Reinet. The wide-spread nature of each district caused inconvenience to the outlying farmers and Commissioner De Mist recommended the subdivision of the existing districts. The district of Stellenbosch was divided in July 1804 whereby a new district named after Governor Tulbagh was created. By September 1804 the arrangements for the division were completed and the boundary between the two districts established.

In 1805 the duties and powers of the Landdrost and Heemraden were clearly defined and matters relating to land, vendue and finance placed within their jurisdiction.

In February 1808 the boundaries of the districts of Tulbagh and Stellenbosch were redefined.

The Local Board Area of L’Agulhas was established on 23 January 1946 under the provisions of Section 1 of Ordinance No 11, 1921 in terms of Proclamation No 8, 1946 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 2207, 25 January 1946).

The Village Management Board of Agulhas was established on 24 May 1956 under the provisions of Section 2(a) of Ordinance No 11, 1921 and Section 4(a) of Ordinance No 10, 1921 in terms of Proclamation No 99, 1956 (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 2816, 1 June 1956).

The Municipality of Agulhas was established with effect from 1 January 1975 under the provisions of section 5(1) and 8(1) of the Municipal Ordinance No 20, 1974 in terms of Proclamation No 414, 1974 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Extraordinary Official Gazette No 3809, 3 December 1974).

The Agulhas Municipality was abolished with effect from 1 July 1985 under section 8(1) of the Municipal Ordinance, 1974 and section 8(1) of the Divisional Councils Ordinance, 1976 in terms of Proclamation No 197, 1984 and the area situated in the Division of Bredasdorp-Swellendam was declared to be a local area of the said division (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4351, 7 December 1984)

A magistrate's court was established at Bellville on 21 May 1926.

Previously the magistrate of Cape Town held a periodical court at Bellville.

The magistrate of Bellville held periodical courts at Durbanville and Philadelphia.