The division of Paarl was granted a Divisional Road Board in terms of Ordinance No 8 of 1843. This Board sat for the first time on 7 September 1848 and functioned until it was superseded by the Divisional Council.
The Divisional Council of Paarl was proclaimed on 9 July 1855 in terms of Act No 5 of 1855. According to the requirements of the said act, the division was divided into six districts comprising various field cornetcies. The original division was:
(1) Southern Paarl; (2) Northern Paarl; (3) Klein Drakenstein; (4) Wagonmaker’s Valley and Groenberg; (5) Paardeberg and Behind the Paarl; (6) Great Drakenstein and Fransche Hoek
The Regional Services Council for the Cape Metropole and surrounding areas covering the Divisional Council areas of the Cape, Stellenbosch and Paarl was established in terms of section 3(1)(a) of the Regional Services Council Act, 1985 (Act No 109 of 1985) with effect from 9 January 1987. The Divisional Councils of the Cape, Paarl and Stellenbosch were abolished as from 30 June 1987 and the functions taken over by the Western Cape Regional Services Council as from that date.
The Municipality of Paarl was constituted on 9 October 1840 under the provisions of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Paarl Municipality together with the Matroosberg Transitional Representative Council, Paarl Transitional Representative Council, Saron Transitional Local Council, Wellington Transitional Council and Witzenberg Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Drakenstein Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5590, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 488, 22 September 2000). The Drakenstein Local Municipality forms part of the larger Cape Winelands District Municipality.
District municipalities administer and make rules for a district, which includes more than one local municipality. The purpose of district municipalities and local municipalities sharing the responsibility for local government in their areas is to ensure that all communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, have equal access to resources and services. This will help some local municipalities that don't have the capacity (finances, facilities, staff, or knowledge) to provide services to their communities. It will also help to cut the costs of running a municipality by sharing resources with others. The "richer" areas will help the "poorer" areas. District municipalities are seen as successors to former Regional Services Councils/District Councils.
Some of the functions and powers of district municipalities include: • To plan for development for the district municipality as a whole. • Bulk supply of water that affects a large proportion of the municipalities in the district. • bulk supply of electricity that affects a large proportion of the municipalities in the district • Bulk sewerage purification works and main sewerage disposal. • Waste disposal sites for the whole district municipality area. • Municipal roads for the whole district municipality area. • Regulating passenger transport services. • Municipal health services for the whole area. • Firefighting services for the whole area. • Control of fresh produce markets. • Control of cemeteries. • Promoting local tourism for the whole area. • Municipal public works.
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Breërivier District Council, Matroosberg Transitional Representative Council, Witzenberg Transitional Representative Council, Winelands District Council and Wynland Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Boland District Municipality established with its seat in Worcester (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5590, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 486, 22 September 2000). The Boland District Municipality was divided into five local municipalities, namely Witzenberg with its seat in Ceres, Drakenstein (Paarl), Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch), Breede Valley (Worcester), and Langeberg (Ashton).
In August 2004, the name Boland District Municipality was changed to the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
District municipalities administer and make rules for a district, which includes more than one local municipality. The purpose of district municipalities and local municipalities sharing the responsibility for local government in their areas is to ensure that all communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, have equal access to resources and services. This will help some local municipalities that don't have the capacity (finances, facilities, staff, or knowledge) to provide services to their communities. It will also help to cut the costs of running a municipality by sharing resources with others. The "richer" areas will allow the "poorer" areas. District municipalities are seen as successors to former Regional Services Councils/District Councils.
Some of the functions and powers of district municipalities include: • To plan for development for the district municipality as a whole. • Bulk supply of water that affects a large proportion of the municipalities in the district. • bulk supply of electricity that affects a large proportion of the municipalities in the district • Bulk sewerage purification works and central sewerage disposal. • Waste disposal sites for the whole district municipality area. • Municipal roads for the whole district municipality area. • Regulating passenger transport services. • Municipal health services for the whole area. • Firefighting services for the whole area. • Control of fresh produce markets. • Control of cemeteries. • Promoting local tourism for the whole area. • Municipal public works.
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Breërivier District Council, Matroosberg Transitional Representative Council, Witzenberg Transitional Representative Council, Winelands District Council and Wynland Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Boland District Municipality established with its seat in Worcester (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5590, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 486, 22 September 2000). The Boland District Municipality was divided into five local municipalities, namely Witzenberg with its seat in Ceres, Drakenstein (Paarl), Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch), Breede Valley (Worcester), and Langeberg (Ashton).
In August 2004, the name Boland District Municipality was changed to the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
