Mier Local Municipality

Mier
Local municipality

Seal

Location in the Northern Cape
Coordinates: 26°20′S 20°20′E / 26.333°S 20.333°E / -26.333; 20.333Coordinates: 26°20′S 20°20′E / 26.333°S 20.333°E / -26.333; 20.333
Country South Africa
Province Northern Cape
District ZF Mgcawu
Seat Rietfontein
Wards 4
Government[1]
 • Type Municipal council
 • Mayor Sophia Kethrina Coetzee
Area
 • Total 22,468 km2 (8,675 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 7,003
 • Density 0.31/km2 (0.81/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
 • Black African 4.0%
 • Coloured 90.4%
 • Indian/Asian 0.6%
 • White 4.4%
First languages (2011)[3]
 • Afrikaans 97.0%
 • Other 3%
Time zone SAST (UTC+2)
Municipal code NC081

Mier is a local municipality within the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Its area includes the South African portion of one of the world's largest conservation areas, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The main settlement in the municipality is the town of Rietfontein.

According to the 2011 census Mier has a population of 7,003, which is the smallest of any municipality in South Africa. It is also the most sparsely populated municipality in the country, covering a land area of 22,468 square kilometres (8,675 sq mi) with a population density of 0.31 inhabitants per square kilometre (0.80/sq mi). Mier is the municipality in South Africa with the highest percentage of Afrikaans speakers at 97.1%.

The name Mier is an Afrikaans word that originates from the word "mere" which means "lakes". When German missionaries visited the area a long time ago, they found the pans in the area full of water. They called them "mere". As language changed, the people later pronounced it as "mier".[4]

Main places

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

Place Code Area (km2) Population
Askham 377008 3.1 0
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park 377001 9,597.7 354
Klein Mier 377005 1.0 449
Loubos 377004 1.5 641
Philandersbron 377007 1.3 1,081
Rietfontein 377006 1.8 2,293
Welkom 377003 0.5 381
Remainder 377002 12,861.5 1,803
Total 7,003 Afrikaans

Other villages and populated places in the municipality include Bokspits, Brsdring, Andriesvale and Tweerivieren.

Politics

The municipal council consists of seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Four councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in four wards, while the remaining three 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 18 May 2011 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of four seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[6][7]

Party Votes Seats
Ward List Total % Ward List Total
African National Congress 1,977 1,921 3,898 52.0 3 1 4
Democratic Alliance 1,154 1,128 2,282 30.4 1 1 2
Congress of the People 636 687 1,323 17.6 0 1 1
Total 3,767 3,736 7,503 100.0 4 3 7
Spoilt votes 40 61 101

References

  1. ↑ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. ↑ South African Languages - Place names
  5. ↑ "Mier Local Municipality". Census 2011.
  6. ↑ "Results Summary – All Ballots: Mier" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Seat Calculation Detail: Mier" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
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