Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Explained

Buffalo City
Official Name:Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
Settlement Type:Metropolitan municipality
Seal Size:150x100px
Map Alt:Location in the Eastern Cape
Coordinates:-32.9833°N 79°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:South Africa
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Eastern Cape
Subdivision Type2:District
Seat:East London
Parts Type:Wards
Parts:50
Government Footnotes:[1]
Government Type:Municipal council
Leader Party:ANC
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Princess Faku[2]
Leader Title1:Deputy Mayor
Leader Name1:Vacant
Leader Title2:Speaker
Leader Name2:Humphrey Maxhegwana
Leader Title3:Chief Whip
Leader Name3:Mawethu Marata (ANC)
Area Total Km2:2536
Population Footnotes:[3]
Population Total:975,255
Population As Of:2022
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Racial makeup
Demographics1 Footnotes:[4]
Demographics1 Info1:84.7%
Demographics1 Info2:5.2%
Demographics1 Info3:1.0%
Demographics1 Info4:8.4%
Demographics Type2:First languages
Demographics2 Footnotes:[5]
Demographics2 Info1:78.8%
Demographics2 Info2:11.0%
Demographics2 Info3:7.2%
Demographics2 Info4:%
Demographics2 Info5:3%
Timezone1:SAST
Utc Offset1:+2
Blank Name Sec1:Municipal code
Blank Info Sec1:BUF

The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (Xhosa: uMasipala oMbaxa wase Buffalo City) is a metropolitan municipality situated on the east coast of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It includes the towns of East London, Bhisho and Qonce, as well as the large townships of Mdantsane and Zwelitsha.

History

The municipality was established as a local municipality in 2000 after South Africa's reorganisation of municipal areas, and is named after the Buffalo River, at whose mouth lies the only river port in South Africa. On 18 May 2011, it was separated from the Amathole District Municipality and converted into a metropolitan municipality.

The area has a well-developed manufacturing base, with the auto industry playing a major role. Daimler AG through its wholly owned subsidiary Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has a large assembly plant located next to the port of East London, which produces a variety of vehicles for export.

The climate is mild, with year-round sunshine. Average rainfall is 850mm (33.5 inches).

The population of 701,873 (2001) is largely African (85.2%), with White (8.4%) and Coloured (5.7%) minorities. There is also a small Indian community (0.6%).

The previous mayor, Dr Sindisile Maclean (ANC), was elected in 2000. Buffalo City elected its first female mayor on Friday, 17 March 2006. Ntombentle Peter was voted in as Executive Mayor at the inaugural meeting of the new council following the municipal elections.

Main places

The 2011 census divided the municipality into the following main places:

Note:Only the most populated places are reported

Place Code Area (km2)Population
26006038.223,048
2600328.0811,192
2600651.631,212
26003917.2821,783
2601021.243,546
2601140.9016,380
260113168.86267,007
2600628.5115,300
2601390.842,731
2600482.601,343
2600732.3910,766
2601330.532,254
26010610.1111,471
2601374.062,127
2601651.381,039
2600615.648,145
2600982.111,187
2601060.68442
2601782.36697
2601602.13499
26004465.5234,019
2601366.142,179
2600911.191,174
2600741.131,696
2600451.111,204
2601080.961,279
2600555.191,544
2600771.301,552
2601181.321,425
2600720.751,144
2600856.684,719
26005418.425,863
2600169.94580
2600830.537,123
26008845.55156,835
2600360.951,745
2601072.498,338
2600780.93131
2600562.131,892
2601297.416,696
2600751.611,027
2600071.001,546
2600403.152,384
2601120.737,269
2600663.521,766
2600682.641,481
2601140.9416,380
2601032.326,602
214460.74356
2601131.251,664
2601148.025,329
2601034.145,649
2601612.78855
2601030.17291
2601324.00647
2600920.68655
2600952.671,114
2601032.161,289
2600433.582,676
2600500.991,373
2600371.721,188
2600864.6418,189
Remainder of the municipality 2600101867.1910,359

Politics

See main article: Buffalo City elections. The municipal council consists of one hundred members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifty wards, while the remaining fifty 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 seats on the council.

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

Buffalo City local election, 1 November 2021
Party Votes Seats
Ward List Total % Ward List Total
105,038 109,080 214,118 59.4% 43 18 61
35,195 35,139 70,334 19.5% 7 13 20
21,165 22,301 43,466 12.1% 0 13 13
8,383 – 8,383 2.3% 0 – 0
1,476 1,990 3,466 1.0% 0 1 1
1,499 1,884 3,383 0.9% 0 1 1
1,667 1,603 3,270 0.9% 0 1 1
806 1,756 2,562 0.7% 0 1 1
991 1,020 2,011 0.6% 0 1 1
914 934 1,848 0.5% 0 1 1
18 other parties2,895 4,558 7,453 2.1% 0 0 0
Total180,029 180,265 360,294 50 50 100
Valid votes180,029 180,265 360,294 98.2%
Spoilt votes2,936 3,571 6,507 1.8%
Total votes cast182,965 183,836 366,801
Voter turnout185,525
Registered voters406,486
Turnout percentage45.6%

Hospitals

The following hospitals are located in the municipal area:[7]

Town twinning

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in South Africa. Buffalo City's town twins are:

References

  1. Web site: Contact list: Executive Mayors . Government Communication & Information System . 22 February 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100714013749/http://www.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_list.jsp?id=14&heading=Executive%20Mayors . 14 July 2010 . dmy .
  2. Web site: Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipaility > Mandate of the Executive Mayor . 10 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181211052730/http://www.buffalocity.gov.za/Municipality/ExecutiveMayor . 11 December 2018 . dead .
  3. Web site: Buffalo City (Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa) . Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location . 2022-02-02 . 2024-08-09.
  4. Web site: Buffalo City (Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa) . Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location . 2022-02-02 . 2024-08-09.
  5. Web site: Statistics by place . Statistics South Africa . 27 September 2015.
  6. Web site: Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Buffalo City. 2021-11-09. wikitable.frith.dev.
  7. http://www.ecdoh.gov.za/hospitals.asp?type=District&mid=97 Eastern Cape Dept of Health official website
  8. http://www.lifehealthcare.co.za/Hospitals/DisplayHospital.aspx?nHospitalId=69 Life Healthcare
  9. http://www.ecdoh.gov.za/hospitals/2/Bhisho_Hospital/content/73 Bhisho Hospital webpage
  10. https://archive.today/20120905021535/http://www.ecdc.co.za/news_article/436/Mt_Coke_hospital_to_get_major_facelift/27_March_2007 News article: Mt Coke hospital to get major facelift (published on 27 March 2007)

External links

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality".

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