About Matjhabeng

General Overview

Matjhabeng Municipality came into existence on 05 December 2000 after the amalgamation and emerging of the former six (6) Transitional Local Council into a one (1) financially viable and economically sustainable municipality.

Matjhabeng Municipality incorporates the city of Welkom and the towns of Odendaalsrus, Virginia, Hennenman, Allanridge and Ventersburg with a combined population of more than 500 000 people.

The economy of the Matjhabeng Municipality area centered on mining activities located in and around Allanridge, Odendaalsrus, Welkom and Virginia. Manufacturing aimed at the mining sector exists to a limited extent in the above towns. Other manufacturing activities are limited.

Bulk water infrastructure consists mostly of reservoirs and pipelines of Sedibeng Water. These supply all of the Matjhabeng towns and the mines with water from the Vaal River near Bothaville and to a lesser extent from the Sand River.

The bulk electrical network is well established in the Matjhabeng area. Eskom serves all mines and towns in the Municipal area and thus there is sufficient bulk infrastructure available to serve the whole area. In all the previously disadvantaged area Eskom sells directly to consumers.

There are no public transport system operating in Matjhabeng, bar privately-owned taxis. These are in a process of transformation from 16-seater Combi to the 35-seater bus according to the recapitalization programme.

Matjhabeng Municipality Strategies and Projects

1. Agriculture

Agriculture is a primary economic activity within the region, ranging from farming, hunting and fishing. The agricultural sector plays important role in job creation and self-employment for the local residents.

2. Mining

Mining and quarrying are primary economic activities within Matjhabeng, predominately in Welkom, Virginia, Odendaalsrus and Allanridge. This sector has decline and it is currently undergoing restructuring and inevitable retrenchment as a consequence. The Municipality finds itself with an economic crisis as the mining sector has created a dependency extended to other economic sectors. The mining sector creates opportunities in machinery and plant; mining timber; iron and steel; etc. Hence, decline in the mining sector has a direct impact on the manufacturing sector, and indirectly impacts on sales in the retail sector and services sector.

3. Manufacturing

Manufacturing is a secondary economic activity that entails the physical or chemical transformation or assembly of material or compounds into new products. There is a lot of untapped potential in this sector in most parts of the area.

4. Tourism

There are eco-tourism projects under-utilised within the Matjhabeng area, which requires investment and marketing. These include potential development of the Flamingo Pan, including a golf course, waterfront development, and Witpan development as the land is available. The Phakisa racetrack that is currently un-utilized tourist draw-card. In the Matjhabeng Municipality, there are small tourism projects, if aligned, could create an eco and agro tourism package.

5. Airport

The Welkom airport is an under-utilised asset, and it has limited passenger facilities for national and regional use. It has untapped potential, as it is central located to all major South Africa, en Route to Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, North West and Gauteng. This airport, proposed two ago, is for up for an upgrade to be an international cargo airport. This would entail upgrade the airport infrastructure to be a national, regional and international cargo handling facility. This project has major spin off in terms of job and income creation for the region. The service industries from packaging, security and transformation demands to support this airport would create both jobs and wealth.

6. Jewelry Industry

The international jewelry school is in Matjhabeng, and it provides training in jewelry design and manufacturing at a National Diploma level, in conjunction with Central University of Technology. This school is in partnership with Harmony Gold Mining Company, which provided support in infrastructure and equipment. In addition, this school is part of a coordinated and integrated process supported by national, provincial, and local government. The project is in two phases: (a) training students from disadvantaged communities for a National Diploma and (b) to establish a ‘Hive System’ incubator where trainers get financial assistance to create middle to high products for the South African Tourism outlets as well as for the international markets.

7. SMME Support

A small business development hives was available at the old Welkom mine complex, where emerging entrepreneurs are supported over a two-year period. The activities at the centre include training, school bridging courses and ‘hives’. The centre is currently facing challenges such as shortage of funding and skilled personnel to utilize this infrastructure. There is also an untapped potential to provide small scale farming development hives to prepare emerging farmers for small-scale farming and urban agriculture for the area. The SMME support is currently facing the challenge of lack of funding and administrative support. The Matjhabeng Industrial Park consists of a business incubator, tender advice centre as a means of stimulating local economy, promoting and workshop or offices to the entrepreneurs with a business mentoring and advice, enterprise counseling and training and support services.

8. Satellite campus

The Satellite Campus was on the Welkom College Campus adjacent to the old Welkom mine complex. The purpose of this college is to train retrenched workers from the mining sector. The college also handles a prospective small business entrepreneurs and offer business development. There is an untapped potential throughout the area to provide youth employability programmes and projects that provide skills ranging from computer literacy to hospitality and tourism management in conjunction with Vista University and Bloemfontein Technical College.

9. Safety and Security

Matjhabeng Municipality has safety and security as a priority, and this complements the crime prevention and economic development of policy directives at national and provincial government spheres. A number of Policing Forums have been established in each ward and there are currently effectively functioning. The priority issues in the area are to ensure safety and security to promote a livelihood environment through crime prevention and disaster management to stimulate and sustain local economies. Crime Prevention focuses on community mobilization, community policing forums, crime and human rights education in urban and rural communities. This is critical to plan for a holistic economic development, as the municipality will increase the livelihood of individuals and household vulnerability to crime incidences.

Basic Services Delivery

Classification of Municipality According to the Municipal Structures Act: FS 184

Population Figures

This urban development relates to the national economy through the growth and structural transformation of real production, which depends especially on labour, land and infrastructure markets. The above income trends indicate that all five municipalities in Lejweleputswa District Municipality have over 60% o fits population with no income. The majority of the no income residents are women, which stress the issue of women as a poverty vulnerable group within the district. Between 20 – 30 % of the population earn less than R1, 600 which is also below poverty levels. In fact approximately 90% of the District’s population lacks disposable income hence has limited capacity that are economically active. Urbanization is necessary but not the only condition sufficient for sustained economic growth. Hence, the availability or lack of electricity, freight, public transport, water, sanitation, telecommunications and developed land impacts on the cost of doing business in the municipalities.

Political Organizations
ANC having 57 Councilors and is the main dominant movement in the area.
DA with 14 Councilors
PAC with 1 Councilor
AZAPO
INKATHA
And others

Community Base Organization
South Africa National Civic Organization

Trade Union
Congress of South African Trade Union

Members of Matjhabeng Municipality Councilors and Officials
Executive Mayor : Cllr. Mathabo Leeto
Speaker : Cllr. Lennox Rubulana
Council Whip : Cllr. Joseph Sephiri

Members of Mayoral Committee
Community Services & Social Development : Mr. TE Thoabala
Economic Development & Spatial Planning : Mr. BA Montshioa
Financial Management : Mr. SE Tshabangu
Corporate Services : Ms RE Tladi
Human Resources : Mr. KS Menong
Public Works & Engineering Services : Mr. ZA Thuthani
Housing Development & Environmental Management : Mr. TD Khalipha
Public Safety & Transport : Ms KA Ramaisa

Officials

Acting Municipal Manager : Mr. NP Nkurumah