Merafong City Local Municipality

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Merafong City Local Municipality

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Merafong City
—  Local municipality  —
Location of Merafong City Local Municipality within Gauteng
Coordinates: 26°21′S 27°24′E / 26.35°S 27.4°E / -26.35; 27.4Coordinates: 26°21′S 27°24′E / 26.35°S 27.4°E / -26.35; 27.4
Country South Africa
Province Gauteng
District West Rand
Seat Carletonville
Wards 28
Government
 • Type Municipal council
 • Mayor (2012-02)[1] Maphefo Letsie
Area
 • Total 1,631 km2 (630 sq mi)
Population (2007)[2][3]
 • Total 215,860
 • Density 132.3/km2 (343/sq mi)
 • Households 88,156
Racial makeup (2007)[2]
 • Black African 85.4%
 • Coloured 0.1%
 • Indian/Asian 0.1%
 • White 14.4%
First languages (2001)[4]
 • Xhosa 25.1%
 • Tswana 20.8%
 • Sotho 19.3%
 • Afrikaans 14.8%
 • Other 20%
Time zone SAST (UTC+2)
Municipal code GT484

Merafong City Local Municipality is a local municipality in West Rand District Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa. Its boundaries enclose some of the richest gold mines in the world. It is situated about 65km from Johannesburg and is serviced by a number of major roads, including the N12 from Johannesburg to Cape Town and the N14 (the main road between Gauteng and Mafikeng via Ventersdorp).

Formerly a cross-border municipality, the entire municipality was transferred to the North West province[5] following the abolition of cross-border municipalites by an amendment to the South African Constitution in 2005. The municipality was part of the North West Province from 2005 to 2009, when it was reincorporated into the Gauteng Province by another amendment to the Constitution, following often violent protests in the township of Khutsong.[6]

Merafong's historical development is closely knit with the discovery of rich gold deposits in the early 1930s.

Fochville is the oldest town in the region, and was declared a town in 1951.[7]

The town Carletonville was named after Guy Carleton Jones, an engineer from the Gold Fields Ltd mining company, who played a prominent role in the discovery of the West Wits gold field, of which Carletonville forms a part. The mining company decided in November 1946 to establish the town. Carletonville was proclaimed in 1948 and attained Town Council Status on 1 July 1959.[7]

Wedela is situated between Western Deep Levels and Elandsrand mine. The town's name is derived from the prefixes of the two mines: the "Wed-" from Western Deep Levels and the "-ela" from Elandsrand. Wedela was established as a mining village in December 1978 by Harry Oppenheimer, and municipal status was granted to the town on 1 January 1990.[7]

Attached to Fochville and Carletonville are the towns of Khutsong, Kokosi, Greenspark, Welverdiend, and Blybank.

Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[8]

Place Code Area (km2) Population Most spoken language
Blybank 78801 6.90 471 Zulu
Blyvooruitzicht 78802 6.31 6,461 Xhosa
Carletonville 78803 12.67 18,364 Afrikaans
Deelkraal 78804 9.41 3,356 Afrikaans
Doornfontein 78805 1.51 2,575 Xhosa
East Driefontein Mine 78806 2.03 11,481 Xhosa
Elandsfontein 68801 0.43 5,256 Sotho
Elandsrand 68802 0.19 1,786 Sotho
Elandsridge 78807 2.78 2,881 Afrikaans
Fochville 68803 9.53 11,344 Afrikaans
Khutsong 78808 8.60 69,858 Tswana
Kokosi 68804 4.90 23,062 Tswana
Leeupoort 68805 0.30 1,176 Sotho
Letsatsing 78809 0.76 1,511 Xhosa
Oberholzer 78811 3.09 5,368 Afrikaans
Phomolong 78812 0.25 947 Xhosa
Wedela 68807 2.18 14,159 Xhosa
Welverdiend 78813 4.06 2,226 Afrikaans
Westdriefontein 78814 38.29 4,792 Sotho
Western Deep Levels Mine 78815 44.72 11,274 Sotho
Remainder of the municipality 78810 + 68806 1,471.53 12,144

References

  1. ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. http://www.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_list.jsp?id=14&heading=Executive%20Mayors. Retrieved 22 February 2012. 
  2. ^ a b "Community Survey 2007 by municipality, population group, gender and age group". Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/timeseriesdata/pxweb2006/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=agegrp_gender__popgrp&ti=Community+Survey+2007+by+municipality%2C+population+group%2C+gender+and+age+group&path=../Database/South%20Africa/Community%20Survey%202007/Persons/Municipality/&lang=1. Retrieved 22 February 2012. 
  3. ^ "Community Survey 2007 by municipality, type of main dwelling and population group of household". Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/timeseriesdata/pxweb2006/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=Type_of_main_dwelling_municipalities&ti=Community+Survey+2007+by+municipality%2C+type+of+main+dwelling+and+population+group+of++household+head&path=../Database/South%20Africa/Community%20Survey%202007/Households/Municipality/&lang=1. Retrieved 22 February 2012. 
  4. ^ "Census 2001 by municipalities, language, population group and gender.". Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/timeseriesdata/pxweb2006/Database/South%20Africa/Population%20Census/Census%202001%20-%20NEW%20Demarcation%20boundaries%20as%20at%209%20December%202005/Municipality%20level%20-%20Persons/Municipality%20level%20-%20Persons.asp. Retrieved 22 February 2012. 
  5. ^ Integrated Development Plan. Merafong City Local Municipality. Retrieved on Oct 6, 2009.
  6. ^ "NCOP Passes Merafong Bills." Press release. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Retrieved on Oct 15, 2009.
  7. ^ a b c About Merafong. Merafong City Local Municipality. Retrieved on Oct 6, 2009.
  8. ^ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa

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