Bushbuckridge Local Municipality

Bushbuckridge Municipality (Tsonga: Masipala wa Bushbuckridge; Northern Sotho: Mmasepala wa Bushbuckridge) is a local municipality within the Ehlanzeni District Municipality, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.[7] Commercial farming, which consists of pine and bluegum plantations, tobacco, cotton, sub-tropical fruits and vegetables is practised in the municipality's countryside. The municipality includes the southern part of the Kruger National Park.[2] Bushbuckridge is the largest local municipality in Mpumalanga in terms of land size.

Bushbuckridge
Mapulaneng
Local municipality
Official seal of Bushbuckridge
Seal
Location in Mpumalanga
Location in Mpumalanga
Coordinates: 24°28′S 31°32′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceMpumalanga
DistrictEhlanzeni
SeatBushbuckridge
Wards37[1][2][3][4]
Government
[5]
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • MayorSylvia C Nxumalo (ANC)
Area
 • Total10,250 km2 (3,960 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[6]
 • Total541,248
 • Density53/km2 (140/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[6]
 • Black African99.5%
 • Coloured0.1%
 • Indian/Asian0.1%
 • White0.2%
First languages (2011)
[6]
 • Xitsonga56.9%
 • Northern Sotho24.5%
 • Swazi7.8%
 • Sotho5.4%
 • Other5.4%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeMP325

History

The name Bushbuck Ridge was given because of the large herds of bushbuck found there in the 1880s, and the prominent WNW-ESE ridge in the southeastern part of the municipality.[8] The town of Bushbuckridge grew around a trading store that opened in 1884. Prior to the colonial and apartheid era, the land known today as Bushbuckridge and Hazyview was well known as Mapulaneng, it has been home to the Mapulana people for centuries before the Tsonga people and the Swazi people were allowed to settled in the area during the reign of Mapulana chief Maripe Mashile. Mapulaneng was replaced during the white conquest and named Bushbuckridge. Mapulaneng proper stretches from the Eswatini border to Ermelo in the south, Olifants River (Lepelle) in the north, Lebombo Mountains in the east and also includes the whole town of Hazyview, Nelspruit, Sabie, Graskop, Hoedspruit, Barberton, Lydenburg and Dullstroom in the west. In Sepulana, Mapulaneng means "Place of the Mapulana people"; the tribe derive their name from their founding leader, Lepulana who later changed his name to Chiloane. Mapulana are descendants of Morolong and their origin can be traced back to Kgalagadi before they settled in Thaba Chueu, in what is today eastern Lesotho and Shakwaneng (Carolina) in the 1500s. Mapulana of Matshwe I got their name from their leader Pulane and they are of Amazizi of Nguni origin and they join the other Mapulana of Mohlomi at Thaba Chueu after the death of their leader Tsosane. Mapulana successfully defended the area from Swazi armies who they annihilated at the battle of Moholoholo in December 1864.

1995-1996 Protest

In 1994, when the Transvaal Province was dismantled and divided into four provinces, the area from Bushbuckridge to Hazyview was included in Limpopo province. The decision was based on the fact that most of the Bushbuckridge area had been part of three separate bantustans — Gazankulu, Lebowa and KaNgwane — but the bigger sector fell within Gazankulu, which was incorporated into Limpopo. The citizens of Bushbuckridge were unhappy with this arrangement, and became embroiled in a dispute with the government, demanding inclusion of the area in Mpumalanga province. They were concerned that should the area be included into Limpopo, they would be marginalised and suffer poor service delivery since Polokwane, the capital city of Limpopo Province, is more than 300 km away, whereas Nelspruit, the capital of Mpumalanga is only 58 km away. For more than two years the government refused to place Bushbuckridge under Mpumalanga, leading to violent protests and resistance from the community, which included stay-aways, road blocks with burning tyres and destruction of civil and government property.

A decision was taken at Cabinet level in 1998 to transfer the area to Mpumalanga. However, this was not done until 2000, when President Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet amended the Constitution to legalise the transfer. Because of red tape, it was not until 2005 that Bushbuckridge was officially transferred to Mpumalanga.[9]

Geography

Bushbuckridge is bordered by Mopani District Municipality of Limpopo Province to the north, by Mozambique to the east, by Mbombela and Nkomazi Local Municipality to the south, and by Thaba Chweu and Maruleng Local Municipality to the west.[2][3]

The 2013 proposal to adjust the border between the municipal area of Mbombela (MP322) and Bushbuckridge Local Municipalities (MP325)[10] was approved for implementation in 2016.[11]

Demographics

The population of the municipality in the 2011 census was 541,248.[3] The most-spoken first language is Tsonga (57%), followed by Northern Sotho with about 25%.[7]

Administrative subdivisions

Bushbuckridge Local Municipality consists of 135 settlements and is divided into thirty-seven wards.[3][4]

Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[12]

PlaceCodeArea (km2)PopulationMost spoken language
Amashangana98601584.12106,877Tsonga, Zulu
Bushbuckridge9860272.651,726Northern Sotho, Zulu
College View986031.781,927Sotho
Hoxane9860453.1939,617Tsonga
Hoxani9860593.0514,341Tsonga
Jongilanga98606256.8750,128Tsonga
Malele9860716.0811,637Northern Sotho
Manyeleti98608185.69114Tsonga
Mapulaneng9860935.2512Northern Sotho
Mathibela98610111.4657,416Swazi
Mnisi98611461.0366,659Tsonga
Moletele9861251.2922,527Northern Sotho
Moreipuso9861384.4328,322Northern Sotho
Sabi Sand Game Reserve986144.70134English
Setlhare98615168.9344,000Northern Sotho
Thabakgolo98616100.1453,624Northern Sotho
Remainder of the municipality88601315.93641Northern Sotho

Politics
Main article: Bushbuckridge Local Municipality elections

The municipal council consists of seventy-six members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-eight councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-eight wards, while the remaining thirty-eight are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of fifty-three seats on the council.

The following table shows the results of the election.[13][14]

PartyWardListTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
African National Congress65,48663.283769,54668.331653
Economic Freedom Fighters10,1199.78011,18310.9988
Independent South African National Civic Organisation5,8765.6816,6286.5145
Independent candidates9,5389.2200
African People's Convention2,5272.4402,9742.9222
Democratic Alliance2,3942.3102,5162.4722
Better Residents Association2,3772.3002,3592.3222
South Africa My Home Residents Association1,6861.6301,7151.6911
Democratic Community Movement9790.9509870.9711
Bushbuckridge Locals Movement7320.7108470.8311
African Transformation Movement5580.5406040.5911
10 other parties1,2141.1702,4182.3800
Total103,486100.0038101,777100.003876
Valid votes103,48697.80101,77797.33
Invalid/blank votes2,3332.202,7912.67
Total votes105,819100.00104,568100.00
Registered voters/turnout246,35742.95246,35742.45

References
  1. In 2001 there were thirty-four wards. By the 2011 census there were thirty-seven due to expansion of the municipality by the addition of parts of the Kruger National Park.
  2. "Integrated Development Plan" (PDF). Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  3. "Bushbuckridge". Statistics South Africa, Government of South Africa. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015.
  4. "Wards: List of Councillors and Villages" (PDF). Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  5. "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System (GCIS), Government of South Africa. 2009. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  6. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  7. "Bushbuckridge Local Municipality 877 from Census 2011". Adrian Frith. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014.
  8. South African Languages - Place names
  9. Mayher, Anne; Raab, Erin (2009). "THE WATER DIALOGUES SYNTHESIS REPORT 2009-Bushbuckridge Case Study" (PDF). The Water Dialogues. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  10. "Redetermination of municipal boundaries". Municipal Demarcation Board. August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015.
  11. "The Municipal Demarcation Board makes a final determination on the South African municipal landscape in 2016". Municipal Demarcation Board. 16 October 2013. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015.
  12. Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa
  13. "Results Summary – All Ballots: Bushbuckridge" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  14. "Seat Calculation Detail: Bushbuckridge" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
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