In terms of Proclamation No 152 of 15 December 1995 (Establishment of Rural Local Government Structures) the Klein Karoo Regional Services Council was disestablished and replaced by the Klein Karoo District Council (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5004 of 15 December 1995).

On 22 September 2000 the Garden Route (previously Garden Route/Klein Karoo and Eden) District Municipality was established in terms of sections 12 and 14 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette No 5592 of 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 497 of 22 September 2000).