The Village Management Board of Riviersonderend was established on 28 July 1928 in terms of Proclamation No 173, 1928 under provision of Ordinance No 10, 1921 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette, No 1161, 3 August 1928).

Prior to the establishment of the Board, Riviersonderend was administered by a Committee of Management elected at a meeting of landowners held on 19 May 1928. Prior to this date the Dutch Reformed Church Council had administered the village (3/RSE 1).

The Board ceased to function in September 1940 after the establishment of a Municipal Council.

The Municipality of Riviersonderend was constituted on 10 July 1940 in terms of Proclamation No 125, 1940 under provision of Ordinances No 10, 1921 and No 10, 1912 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette, No 1892, 2 August 1940).

In terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) the local government bodies in the Riviersonderend Forum Area, namely the Municipality of Riviersonderend, was dissolved and a transitional local council under the name “Municipality of Riviersonderend” was established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 4896, 30 November 1994, Proclamation No 88, 29 November 1994). In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of Riviersonderend together with other municipalities was disestablished and the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5591, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 493, 22 September 2000). The Theewaterskloof Local Municipality forms part of the larger Overberg District Municipality.