| Tswelopele | |
| Settlement Type: | Local municipality |
| Seal Size: | 150x100px |
| Map Alt: | Location in the Free State |
| Coordinates: | -28.2908°N 26.15°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Free State |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Lejweleputswa |
| Seat: | Bultfontein |
| Parts Type: | Wards |
| Parts: | 8 |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Government Type: | Municipal council |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Rosy Phukuntse |
| Area Total Km2: | 6524 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 47625 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 91.2% |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 1.2% |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.4% |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 6.9% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [3] |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 54.0% |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 19.9% |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 12.0% |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 8.3% |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 5.8% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Municipal code |
| Blank Info Sec1: | FS183 |
Tswelopele Municipality (Sotho, Southern: Masepala wa Tswelopele; Xhosa: uMasipala wase Tswelopele; Tswana: Mmasepala wa Tswelopele) is a local municipality within the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, in the Free State province of South Africa. Tswelopele is a Sesotho word meaning "progress".[4]
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[5]
| Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | Most spoken language | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40901 | 42.75 | 1,034 | Afrikaans | ||
| 40902 | 28.34 | 662 | Afrikaans | ||
| 40903 | 3.37 | 20,063 | Sotho | ||
| 40904 | 1.73 | 11,032 | Sotho | ||
| Remainder of the municipality | 40905 | 6,447.20 | 20,913 | Sotho |
See main article: Tswelopele Local Municipality elections. The municipal council consists of fifteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Eight councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in eight wards, while the remaining seven 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 reduced majority of ten seats on the council.
The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.[6]