Act No 1 of 1872, the Constitution Ordinance Amendment Act, which gave the Cape responsible government, entrusted the administration of the blacks within the Colony who were “not sufficiently civilized to be brought under ordinary law” to the Secretary for Native Affairs. Mr Charles Brownlee was the first appointee in this post.

In 1893 the administration of Native Affairs was entrusted to the Prime Minister with the Under Secretary for Native Affairs acting as the immediate head of this branch of the Prime Minister’s Office. On 1 July 1897 the relevant position was renamed Superintendent of Native Affairs. In July 1899 this designation was discarded and that of Secretary to the Native Affairs Department substituted. The Native Affairs Department continued to remain part of the Prime Minister's Office until Union in 1910.

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).