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Coordinates: 34°02′S 24°46′E / 34.033°S 24.767°E / -34.033; 24.767
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|parts = 15
|parts = 15
<!-- government leaders -->
<!-- government leaders -->
| government_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |last=Plaatjies |first=Razaan |title=Hattingh Bornman elected as new Kouga mayor |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/community-newspaper/kouga-express/hattingh-bornman-elected-as-new-kouga-mayor-20230630 |access-date=2023-06-30 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>
| government_footnotes = <ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/elections/2016/08/04/Kouga%E2%80%99s-new-mayor-vows-to-%E2%80%98clean-up%E2%80%99-problems-the-ANC-never-took-care-of%E2%80%99</ref>
| government_type = [[Municipal council]]
| government_type = [[Municipal council]]
| leader_party = [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|DA]]
| leader_party = [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|DA]]
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Horatio Hendricks
| leader_name = [[Hattingh Bornman]]
| leader_title1 = Speaker
| leader_name1 = Hattingh Bornman (DA)
| leader_title2 = Chief Whip
| leader_name2 = Daniel Benson (DA)
<!-- area ---------------------->
<!-- area ---------------------->
| area_footnotes =
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 2670
| area_total_km2 = 2670
<!-- population ---------------->
<!-- population ---------------->
| population_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population">{{cite web |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=964 |title=Statistics by place |publisher=Statistics South Africa |access-date=27 September 2015}}</ref>
| population_footnotes = <ref name="q266">{{cite web | title=Kouga (Local Municipality, South Africa) | website=Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location | date=2022-02-02 | url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/southafrica/admin/eastern_cape/EC108__kouga/ | access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref>
| population_total = 98558
| population_total = 107041
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_as_of = 2022
| population_rank =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_km2 = auto
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1 = Racial makeup {{nobold|(2011)}}
| demographics_type1 = Racial makeup {{nobold|(2022)}}
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population"/>
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="q266"/>
| demographics1_title1 = {{nobold|[[Bantu-speaking peoples of South Africa|Black African]]}}
| demographics1_title1 = {{nobold|[[Bantu-speaking peoples of South Africa|Black African]]}}
| demographics1_info1 = 38.8%
| demographics1_info1 = 32.6%
| demographics1_title2 = {{nobold|[[Coloureds|Coloured]]}}
| demographics1_title2 = {{nobold|[[Coloureds|Coloured]]}}
| demographics1_info2 = 42.6%
| demographics1_info2 = 35.2%
| demographics1_title3 = {{nobold|[[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]]}}
| demographics1_title3 = {{nobold|[[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]]}}
| demographics1_info3 = 0.2%
| demographics1_info3 = 0.3%
| demographics1_title4 = {{nobold|[[White South African|White]]}}
| demographics1_title4 = {{nobold|[[White South African|White]]}}
| demographics1_info4 = 17.6%
| demographics1_info4 = 29.9%
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2 = [[First language]]s {{nobold|(2011)}}
| demographics_type2 = [[First language]]s {{nobold|(2011)}}
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| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}
The '''Kouga Local Municipality''' is located in the [[Eastern Cape]] of [[South Africa]], approximately 80&nbsp;km west of [[Port Elizabeth]], and forms part of the [[Sarah Baartman District Municipality]]. Its territory includes the coastal zone between the [[Van Stadens River]] in the east and the [[Tsitsikamma River]] in the west, and stretches inland towards the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the north.
'''Kouga Municipality''' ({{langx|af|Kouga Munisipaliteit}}; {{langx|xh|uMasipala wase Kouga}}) is a [[Local municipality (South Africa)|local municipality]] in the [[Eastern Cape]] of [[South Africa]], approximately 80&nbsp;km west of [[Gqebera]]. It forms part of the [[Sarah Baartman District Municipality]]. Its territory includes the coastal zone between the [[Van Stadens River]] in the east and the [[Tsitsikamma River]] in the west, and stretches inland towards the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the north.


Regional access to the area is obtained via the [[N2 road (South Africa)|N2 National Route]] from Port Elizabeth to [[Cape Town]].
Regional access to the area is obtained via the [[N2 road (South Africa)|N2 National Route]] from Gqebera to [[Cape Town]]. It is often regarded as the cleanest municipality in the Eastern Cape.


==Topography and climate==
==Topography and climate==
[[File:South Africa-Eastern Cape-Seekoei River causeway-001.jpg|thumb|[[Causeway]] over the [[Seekoei River (Eastern Cape)|Seekoei River]] between [[Aston Bay, Eastern Cape|Aston Bay]] and [[Paradise Beach, Eastern Cape|Paradise Beach]]]]
[[File:South Africa-Eastern Cape-Seekoei River causeway-001.jpg|thumb|[[Causeway]] over the Seekoei River between [[Aston Bay, Eastern Cape|Aston Bay]] and [[Paradise Beach, Eastern Cape|Paradise Beach]]]]
The municipality is characterised by 3 main topographical regions:
The municipality is characterised by 3 main topographical regions:


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The coastal towns of [[Jeffreys Bay]], [[St Francis Bay]], [[Cape St Francis]] and [[Oyster Bay, Eastern Cape|Oyster Bay]]
The coastal towns of [[Jeffreys Bay]], [[St Francis Bay]], [[Cape St Francis]] and [[Oyster Bay, Eastern Cape|Oyster Bay]]
are well-established tourist destinations. Jeffreys Bay has a population of over 40,000 with an annual population growth rate of 2.5% or higher, making it one of the fastest growing towns in South Africa.<ref name=idp22/>
are well-established tourist destinations. Jeffreys Bay has a population of over 40,000 with an annual population growth rate of 2.5% or higher, making it one of the fastest-growing towns in South Africa.<ref name=idp22/>


The urban areas of [[Hankey]] and [[Patensie]], situated in the Gamtoos River Valley, provide important services to the surrounding high-density agriculture industry.
The urban areas of [[Hankey]] and [[Patensie]], situated in the Gamtoos River Valley, provide important services to the surrounding high-density agriculture industry.
Line 112: Line 108:


==Politics==
==Politics==
{{main|Kouga Local Municipality elections}}
The municipal council consists of twenty-nine members elected by [[mixed-member proportional representation]]. Fifteen councillors are elected by [[first-past-the-post voting]] in fifteen [[ward (South Africa)|wards]], while the remaining fourteen are chosen from [[party list]]s so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
The municipal council consists of thirty members elected by [[mixed-member proportional representation]]. Fifteen councillors are elected by [[first-past-the-post voting]] in fifteen [[ward (South Africa)|wards]], while the remaining fifteen are chosen from [[party list]]s so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.


===History===
===History===
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The NNP withdrew from the DA in 2001 to instead align with its old rival, the [[African National Congress]] (ANC). During the floor crossing period in 2002, one DA councillor defected to the NNP, allowing an ANC-NNP coalition to take over governance of the municipality. Kouga remained under ANC control for the next 14 years, with the party winning a comfortable victory in 2006 and narrowly retaining power after a closely fought election in 2011.
The NNP withdrew from the DA in 2001 to instead align with its old rival, the [[African National Congress]] (ANC). During the floor crossing period in 2002, one DA councillor defected to the NNP, allowing an ANC-NNP coalition to take over governance of the municipality. Kouga remained under ANC control for the next 14 years, with the party winning a comfortable victory in 2006 and narrowly retaining power after a closely fought election in 2011.


In the [[South African municipal elections, 2016|election of 3 August 2016]], however, the DA won a majority of seventeen seats on the council, defeating the ANC, which previously controlled the council. Elza van Lingen became the new mayor of the municipality. She died in April 2018,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/kouga-mayor-loses-9-year-battle-with-cancer-20180419|title=Kouga mayor loses 9-year battle with cancer|publisher=News24|date=19 April 2018}}</ref> after which speaker Horatio Hendricks took over as mayor.
In the [[South African municipal elections, 2016|election of 3 August 2016]], however, the DA won a majority of seventeen seats on the council, defeating the ANC, which previously controlled the council. Elza van Lingen became the new mayor of the municipality. She died in April 2018,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/kouga-mayor-loses-9-year-battle-with-cancer-20180419|title=Kouga mayor loses 9-year battle with cancer|publisher=News24|date=19 April 2018}}</ref> after which speaker [[Horatio Hendricks]] took over as mayor.


Hendricks was re-elected as mayor following the [[2021 South African municipal elections|2021 municipal elections]]. He resigned from office in June 2023 and deputy mayor [[Hattingh Bornman]] was elected to succeed him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NEW EXECUTIVE MAYOR ELECTED FOR KOUGA MUNICIPALITY |url=https://www.kouga.gov.za/newexecutivemayorelectedfo |access-date=2023-06-30 |website=www.kouga.gov.za}}</ref>
The following table shows the results of the 2016 municipal election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.org.za/content/LGEPublicReports/402/Detailed%20Results/EC/EC108.pdf |title=Results Summary – All Ballots: Kouga |publisher=Independent Electoral Commission |access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elections.org.za/content/LGEPublicReports/402/Seat%20Calculation%20Detail/EC/EC108.pdf |title=Seat Calculation Detail: Kouga |publisher=Independent Electoral Commission |access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref>

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:right"
The following table shows the results of the 2021 municipal election.
!rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Party !!colspan="4" align="center"| Votes !!colspan="3" align="center"| Seats
{{Election results
|-
|firstround=Ward |secondround=List
! Ward !! List !! Total !! % !! Ward !! List !! Total
|party1=[[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]] |votes1=18097 |votes1_2=18333 |seats1=9 |seats1_2=7 |totseats1=16
|-
|party2=[[African National Congress]] |votes2=12538 |votes2_2=12779 |seats2=6 |seats2_2=5 |totseats2=11
{{Party name with colour |Democratic Alliance (South Africa)}}
|party3=[[Freedom Front Plus]] |votes3=1047 |votes3_2=1051 |seats3=0 |seats3_2=1 |totseats3=1
| 21,364 || 21,543 || 42,907 || 56.5 || 7 || 10 || 17
|party4=[[Patriotic Alliance (South Africa)|Patriotic Alliance]] |votes4=662 |votes4_2=679 |seats4=0 |seats4_2=1 |totseats4=1
|-
|party5=[[Economic Freedom Fighters]] |votes5=618 |votes5_2=641 |seats5=0 |seats5_2=1 |totseats5=1
{{Party name with colour |African National Congress}}
|party6=[[Independent candidates]] |votes6=833 |votes6_2= |seats6=0 |seats6_2= |totseats6=0
| 15,407 || 15,409 || 30,816 || 40.6 || 8 || 4 || 12
|party7=[[United Democratic Movement]] |votes7=106 |votes7_2=277 |seats7=0 |seats7_2=0 |totseats7=0
|-
|party8=[[Good (political party)|Good]] |votes8=107 |votes8_2=134 |seats8=0 |seats8_2=0 |totseats8=0
{{Party name with colour |Economic Freedom Fighters}}
|party9=[[Compatriots of South Africa]] |votes9=34 |votes9_2=64 |seats9=0 |seats9_2=0 |totseats9=0
| 298 || 431 || 729 || 1.0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|party10=[[The Organic Humanity Movement]] |votes10=25 |votes10_2=28 |seats10=0 |seats10_2=0 |totseats10=0
|-
|party11=[[African Transformation Movement]] |votes11=5 |votes11_2=36 |seats11=0 |seats11_2=0 |totseats11=0
{{Party name with colour |Freedom Front Plus}}
|invalid=410 |invalid2=513
| 274 || 247 || 521 || 0.7 || 0 || 0 || 0
|electorate=60572 |electorate2=60572
|-
|source=<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Kouga |url=https://wikitable.frith.dev/lge2021/EC108 |access-date=31 December 2021 |website=wikitable.frith.dev}}</ref>
{{Party name with colour |Independent (politics)}}
⚫
}}
| 399 || – || 399 || 0.5 || 0 || – || 0
|-
{{Party name with colour |African Christian Democratic Party}}
| 184 || 163 || 347 || 0.5 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
{{Party name with colour |Patriotic Alliance (South Africa) |colour=lightgrey |shortname=Patriotic Alliance}}
| 64 || 95 || 159 || 0.2 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
{{Party name with colour |United Democratic Movement}}
| – || 72 || 72 || 0.1 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left" | '''Total'''
| '''37,990''' || '''37,960''' || '''75,950''' || '''100.0''' || '''15''' || '''14''' || '''29'''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left" | Spoilt votes
| 426 || 481 || 907
⚫
|}


==Main places==
==Main places==

Latest revision as of 22:50, 29 October 2024

Kouga
Local municipality
Official seal of Kouga
Seal
Location in the Eastern Cape
Location in the Eastern Cape
Coordinates: 34°02′S 24°46′E / 34.033°S 24.767°E / -34.033; 24.767
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceEastern Cape
DistrictSarah Baartman
SeatJeffreys Bay
Wards15
Government
[1]
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • MayorHattingh Bornman (DA)
Area
 • Total2,670 km2 (1,030 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[2]
 • Total107,041
 • Density40/km2 (100/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2022)
[2]
 • Black African32.6%
 • Coloured35.2%
 • Indian/Asian0.3%
 • White29.9%
First languages (2011)
[3]
 • Afrikaans59.4%
 • Xhosa30.5%
 • English6.5%
 • Other3.6%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeEC108

Kouga Municipality (Afrikaans: Kouga Munisipaliteit; Xhosa: uMasipala wase Kouga) is a local municipality in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, approximately 80 km west of Gqebera. It forms part of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. Its territory includes the coastal zone between the Van Stadens River in the east and the Tsitsikamma River in the west, and stretches inland towards the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the north.

Regional access to the area is obtained via the N2 National Route from Gqebera to Cape Town. It is often regarded as the cleanest municipality in the Eastern Cape.

Topography and climate

[edit]
Causeway over the Seekoei River between Aston Bay and Paradise Beach

The municipality is characterised by 3 main topographical regions:

  • The coastal region stretches from the Van Stadens River in the east through the Tsitsikamma River in the west. This zone includes the towns of Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, and Oyster Bay. The coast serves as a major national and regional tourism attraction.
  • The Gamtoos River Valley is characterised by wide, fertile flood plains associated with low-lying land, with steep less-fertile slopes flanking the Valley. The towns of Hankey and Patensie, Loerie and Thornhill are focal points of this high-potential agricultural region.
  • The Humansdorp and Kruisfontein area is characterised by moderate slopes in the south, with steeper slopes towards the north and northwest.[4]

The four main rivers in the area – the Kromme, Seekoei, Kabeljouws and Gamtoos – are all tidal rivers. The Kromme River and Gamtoos River are significant sources of water supply. Ground water forms another major component of domestic water supply for towns in the Kouga region, especially Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay. Aquifers are also utilised in the agricultural sector for irrigation of pastures.

There are numerous areas of wetland adjacent to the region's rivers and on the coastal platform. These wetlands are extremely sensitive to disturbances such as agricultural activities and development. The wetlands accommodate high species diversity, and fulfil natural water purification and flood retention roles.

The climate of the Kouga region is subtropical, which makes the area conducive to a range of outdoor activities and various types of agricultural production. Rainfall varies between 650 mm per year (St Francis Bay area) to 400 mm (Gamtoos River Valley). The area is generally described as windy.[5]

Towns and settlements

[edit]

More than 70% of the population of the Kouga region lives in urban areas.[6] Humansdorp, with over 24,000 residents, has an established infrastructure and acts as a regional service centre, supplying the surrounding agricultural communities and the coastal towns with commodities and services. Commercial and industrial activities of the region are centred in Humansdorp.

The coastal towns of Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay are well-established tourist destinations. Jeffreys Bay has a population of over 40,000 with an annual population growth rate of 2.5% or higher, making it one of the fastest-growing towns in South Africa.[6]

The urban areas of Hankey and Patensie, situated in the Gamtoos River Valley, provide important services to the surrounding high-density agriculture industry.

Other settlements in the Kouga region include: Andrieskraal, Aston Bay, Centerton, Gamtoos Mouth, Kruisfontein, Kwanomzamo, Loerie, Ocean View, Oyster Bay, Paradise Beach, Pellsrus, Ramaphoza Village, Sea Vista, Thornhill, Tokyo Sexwale, Umzamowethu and Weston.

Politics

[edit]
Main article: Kouga Local Municipality elections

The municipal council consists of thirty members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifteen wards, while the remaining fifteen are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

History

[edit]

Kouga Local Municipality was formed at the time of the municipal elections in December 2000, by the merger of the earlier councils of Humansdorp, Jeffrey's Bay, Hankey, Oyster Bay, Patensie and St Francis Bay. The Democratic Alliance (DA), at the time a joint project of the New National Party (NNP) and the Democratic Party (DP), took power after the first local elections.

The NNP withdrew from the DA in 2001 to instead align with its old rival, the African National Congress (ANC). During the floor crossing period in 2002, one DA councillor defected to the NNP, allowing an ANC-NNP coalition to take over governance of the municipality. Kouga remained under ANC control for the next 14 years, with the party winning a comfortable victory in 2006 and narrowly retaining power after a closely fought election in 2011.

In the election of 3 August 2016, however, the DA won a majority of seventeen seats on the council, defeating the ANC, which previously controlled the council. Elza van Lingen became the new mayor of the municipality. She died in April 2018,[7] after which speaker Horatio Hendricks took over as mayor.

Hendricks was re-elected as mayor following the 2021 municipal elections. He resigned from office in June 2023 and deputy mayor Hattingh Bornman was elected to succeed him.[8]

The following table shows the results of the 2021 municipal election.

PartyWardListTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Democratic Alliance18,09753.11918,33353.89716
African National Congress12,53836.80612,77937.56511
Freedom Front Plus1,0473.0701,0513.0911
Patriotic Alliance6621.9406792.0011
Economic Freedom Fighters6181.8106411.8811
Independent candidates8332.4400
United Democratic Movement1060.3102770.8100
Good1070.3101340.3900
Compatriots of South Africa340.100640.1900
The Organic Humanity Movement250.070280.0800
African Transformation Movement50.010360.1100
Total34,072100.001534,022100.001530
Valid votes34,07298.8134,02298.51
Invalid/blank votes4101.195131.49
Total votes34,482100.0034,535100.00
Registered voters/turnout60,57256.9360,57257.01
Source: [9]

Main places

[edit]

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[10]

Place Code Area (km2) Population Most spoken language
Aston Bay 20801 2.12 918 Afrikaans
Cape St Francis 20802 2.51 165 Afrikaans
Hankey 20803 20.24 8,281 Afrikaans
Humansdorp 20804 35.94 15,338 Afrikaans
Jeffreys Bay 20805 11.25 14,775 Afrikaans
KwaNomzamo 20807 1.21 6,553 Xhosa
Loerie 20808 0.42 1,824 Afrikaans
Oyster Bay 20809 1.34 348 Afrikaans
Paradise Beach 20810 3.79 492 Afrikaans
Patensie 20811 6.68 4,271 Afrikaans
St Francis Bay 20812 7.34 2,195 Afrikaans
Sunnyside 20813 0.14 208 Afrikaans
Thornhill 20814 1.46 1,294 Afrikaans
Weston 20815 0.68 1,540 Xhosa
Remainder of the municipality 20806 2,322.26 12,489 Afrikaans

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Plaatjies, Razaan. "Hattingh Bornman elected as new Kouga mayor". News24. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Kouga (Local Municipality, South Africa)". Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Integrated Development Plan (2007–2012)" (PDF). Kouga Local Municipality. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  5. ^ "Integrated Development Plan (2007–2012)" (PDF). Kouga Local Municipality. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Integrated Development Plan (2007–2012)" (PDF). Kouga Local Municipality. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  7. ^ "Kouga mayor loses 9-year battle with cancer". News24. 19 April 2018.
  8. ^ "NEW EXECUTIVE MAYOR ELECTED FOR KOUGA MUNICIPALITY". www.kouga.gov.za. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Kouga". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  10. ^ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa[permanent dead link]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kouga Local Municipality.
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