| Motheo District Municipality | |
| Settlement Type: | Former District municipality |
| Map Alt: | Location in the Free State |
| Coordinates: | -29.1167°N 39°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Free State |
| Seat: | Bloemfontein |
| Parts Type: | Local municipalities |
| P1: | Mangaung |
| P2: | Mantsopa |
| P3: | Naledi |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | M. E. Moilwa |
| Leader Title1: | Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Mr G. Ramathebane |
| Area Total Km2: | 13950.18 |
| Population Total: | 837379 |
| Population As Of: | 2007 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Households |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup |
| Demographics1 Footnotes: | (2007)[1] |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 82.4% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | White |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 12.8% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 4.7% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | Indian or Asian |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 0.2% |
| Demographics Type2: | Languages |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | (2001) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Sesotho |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 53.55% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Setswana |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 16.57% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 15.32% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | IsiXhosa |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 11.01% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | English |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 1.76% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | District code |
| Blank Info Sec1: | DC17 |
| Website: | http://www.motheo.co.za/ |
Motheo (Sesotho, meaning "foundation" or "cornerstone") was, until the municipal elections of 18 May 2011, a district of the Free State province of South Africa. At the time of the 2011 elections it was disestablished as a consequence of Mangaung Local Municipality being upgraded to a metropolitan municipality.
The Motheo District Municipality Head Office was based in Bloemfontein, which also serves as the capital of the Free State Province.[2]
The Motheo District was disestablished on 18 May 2011. When this happened, of its three constituent local municipalities, Mangaung was upgraded to become an autonomous metropolitan municipality, Naledi became part of Xhariep, and Mantsopa became part of Thabo Mofutsanyane.[3]
Motheo was surrounded by:
The district was divided into three local municipalities: Mangaung, Mantsopa, and Naledi.
Of these, Mangaung Local Municipality — now Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality — is the most densely populated; it features the greatest concentration of well-developed infrastructure and services in the Bloemfontein area, which offers a wide range of amenities to the surrounding rural communities. As of 2007, Mangaung Municipality had a population of 752,906 (roughly 90% of Motheo's total population).
Mantsopa Local Municipality, located to the east of Mangaung, is a mixed agricultural area, with a population of 59,028 (7% of the total).
Naledi Local Municipality, located to the southeast of Mangaung, is largely characterized by livestock-oriented farming, and has a population of 25,445 (3% of the total).[2]
In Mangaung Local Municipality:
In Mantsopa Local Municipality:
In Naledi Local Municipality:
The Black African population group constituted 82.4% of the district's population.[1] Sesotho was the native language of over 50% of the district's residents.[4]
As of 2007, 52.3% of the population were female, and 47.7% were male.[1]
As of 2007, 27.6% of the population were between the age of 0 and 14; 29.6% were between 15 and 29 years old; 21.4% were between 30 and 44 years old; 13.5% were between 45 and 59 years old; 5.9% were between 60 and 74 years old; and 2.0% were 75 or older.[1]