Mohokare Local Municipality

Mohokare Municipality (Sotho: Masepala wa Mohokare; Xhosa: uMasipala wase Mohokare) is a local municipality within the Xhariep District Municipality, in the Free State province of South Africa. Mohokare is the Sesotho word for the Caledon River, which runs through the municipality.[4]

Mohokare
Official seal of Mohokare
Location in the Free State
Location in the Free State
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceFree State
DistrictXhariep
SeatZastron
Wards6
Government
  TypeMunicipal council
  MayorZingisa Mgauli
Area
  Total
8,776 km2 (3,388 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[2]
  Total
36,968
  Density4.212/km2 (10.91/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2022)
  Black African89.7%
  Coloured1.9%
  White8.0%
First languages (2011)
  Sotho64.1%
  Xhosa23.5%
  Afrikaans8.9%
  English1.1%
  Other2.4%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeFS163

Main places

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The 2011 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[5]

PlaceCodeArea (km2)PopulationMost spoken language
Goedemoed6.04537Afrikaans
Matlakeng2.9713,714Sotho
Mofulatshepe1.393,584Sotho
Roleleathunya2.995,955Sotho
Rouxville17.021,355Sotho
Smithfield34.111,195Sotho
Zastron19.731,893Sotho
Remainder of the municipality8,691/735,912Sotho

Politics

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

In the 2021 South African municipal elections the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of eight seats on the council.

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[6]

PartyWardListTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
African National Congress4,89355.8465,65065.2028
Economic Freedom Fighters1,56917.9001,70419.6622
Democratic Alliance7999.1208189.4411
Independent candidates1,07412.2611
Freedom Front Plus3824.3603844.4311
3 other parties460.5201101.2700
Total8,763100.0078,666100.00613
Valid votes8,76397.788,66696.89
Invalid/blank votes1992.222783.11
Total votes8,962100.008,944100.00
Registered voters/turnout17,83850.2417,83850.14

Financial mismanagement

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In January 2025, the municipality was listed as one of the top ten municipalities in arrears on their pension contributions.[7]

References

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  1. "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  3. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. South African Languages - Place names
  5. "Census 2011: Local Municipality: Mohokare".
  6. "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Mohokare". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  7. Banda, Michelle (2025-01-30). "Free State's Mafube Municipality owes workers' pension fund R14m, racks up R113m in arrears". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
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