Showing 35 results

The Village Management Board of Pacaltsdorp was established on 23 December 1886 in terms of Proclamation No 212 of 1886 under provision of the Villages Management Act of 1881 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette, No 6815, 23 December 1886). The Board ceased to function with effect from 1 January 1975 when the Municipality of Pacaltsdorp was established.

The Municipality of Pacaltsdorp 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 Municipality of Hermanus was constituted on 9 September 1904 in terms of Proclamation No 298 under provision of the Municipal Act of 1882 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 8686 of 23 September 1904).

In terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) the local government bodies within the Hermanus Forum Area, namely the Municipality of Hermanus, Onrus River Municipality, Mount Pleasant Management Committee, Zwelihle Town Council, Sandbaai Local Council, Vermont Local Council and Hawston Management Committee was dissolved with effect from 1 December 1994 and the Greater Hermanus Transitional Local Council established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 4896, 30 November 1994, Proclamation No 71, 29 November 1994).

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Greater Hermanus Transitional Local Council together with other municipalities was disestablished and the Overstrand Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5591, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 492, 22 September 2000). The Overstrand Local Municipality forms part of the larger Overberg District Municipality.

According to a declaration and a letter signed by the Town Clerk, Hermanus dated 23 October 1986 and 17 December 1984 respectively, the majority of archives have not remained preserved.

The first meeting of the Local Board of Hartenbosch was held on 19 December 1973.

During 1974 the Municipality of Hartenbos was constituted under the provisions of the Municipal Ordinance No 20 of 1974 (volume 3/HRB 1/1/1).

In terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) the local government bodies within the Mossel Bay Forum Area, namely the Mossel Bay Municipality, Hartenbos Municipality, D’Almeida Management Committee, Kwanonqaba Town Council, the Klein Brakrivier, Reebok and Tergniet Local Council and Boggomsbaai Local Council, was dissolved with effect from 1 February 1995 and a transitional local council under the name Municipality of Mossel Bay established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 4925, 31 January 1995, Proclamation No 25, 30 January 1995).

The Village Management Board of Prince Albert was established on 3 October 1881 under provision of Proclamation No 160 of 1881 in terms of the Village Management Act of 1881.

The Municipality of Prince Albert was constituted on 24 December 1901 under provision of Proclamation No 193 of 1901 in terms of Municipal Act, 1882. In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of Prince Albert together with the Laingsburg Transitional Representative Council, Transitional Local Council of Leeu Gamka and the Prince Albert Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Prince Albert Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5593, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 507, 22 September 2000). The Prince Albert Local Municipality forms part of the larger Central Karoo District Municipality.

The Municipality of the Strand was constituted on 15 June 1896 in terms of Proclamation No 202, 1896 under provision of the Municipal Act, 1882 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 7824, 16 June 1896).

In terms of Proclamation No 27 of 28 May 1996 the Helderberg Substructure was established on 29 May 1996 with the amalgamation of the municipalities of Strand, Somerset West and Gordon’s Bay, as well as the Lwandle Town Council, Macassar Management Committee and Sir Lowry’s Pass Management Committee (Province of the Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary, No 5051, 28 May 1996). The substructure formed part of the Cape Metropolitan Council.

On 4 December 2000 the Cape Metropolitan Council and the substructures were abolished and the new City of Cape Town was created (Province of the Western Cape Provincial Gazette, No 5588, Proclamation 479 of 2000).

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).

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.

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)

During the period 1881 – 1882 Claremont, Mowbray, Rondebosch and Wynberg had all been given Village Management Boards.

In October 1882, however, the inhabitants of these four suburbs petitioned the Government to establish a municipality which would incorporate them all.

As a result by Proclamation 97 of June 1883 the Municipality of Liesbeek was established. The municipal regulations were published in February 1884 and in the same month the Municipal Council of Liesbeek began to function.

The Liesbeek Municipality was comprised of the following wards: Wynberg and Diep River (ward 1), Claremont (ward 2), Newlands (ward 3), Rondebosch (ward 4), and Mowbray (ward 5). Each had its own Ward Committee which met separately but fell under the control of the Central Municipal Council of Liesbeek.

Under Proclamation 115 of July 1886 the designation of the Municipality of Liesbeek was altered and the municipality was from then on known under the name of the Municipality of Wynberg, which only included Wynberg and Diep River. The other wards were severed and became independent municipalities – Mowbray falling under Rondebosch until September 1890 and Newlands divided between Claremont and Rondebosch.

The Village Management Board of Wynberg was created under Proclamation No 103 of July 1882.

Wynberg obtained municipal status through Proclamation No 115 of 1886. This municipality functioned until 1927 when it was amalgamated with the Cape Town Municipality.

The Municipality of Ceres was constituted on 11 October 1864 under Proclamation No 53 of 1864 in terms of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Ceres Municipality together with the Municipality of Wolseley, Matroosberg Transitional Representative Council, Municipality of Prince Alfred’s Hamlet, Witzenberg Transitional Representative Council and Municipality of Tulbagh 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.