Merafong City | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
.svg) Location of Merafong City Local Municipality within Gauteng | |
| Coordinates: 26°25′S 27°25′E / 26.417°S 27.417°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| District | West Rand |
| Seat | Carletonville |
| Wards | 28 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Nozuko Best (ANC) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,631 km2 (630 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 197,520 |
| • Density | 120/km2 (310/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 86.5% |
| • Coloured | 1.1% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.3% |
| • White | 11.8% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Xhosa | 24.9% |
| • Tswana | 21.4% |
| • Sotho | 19.3% |
| • Afrikaans | 12.8% |
| • Other | 21.6% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Municipal code | GT484 |
Merafong City Municipality (Xhosa: uMasipala wase Merafong City; Tswana: Mmasepala wa Merafong City; Sotho: Masepala wa Merafong City; Afrikaans: Merafong City Munisipaliteit) is a local municipality in the West Rand District Municipality, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Its boundaries encloses some of the richest gold mines in the world. It is situated about 65 km from Johannesburg and is serviced by a number of major roads, including the N12 from Johannesburg to Kimberley and the N14 (the main road between Gauteng and Vryburg via Ventersdorp).
Formerly a cross-border municipality, the entire municipality was transferred to the North West province following the abolition of cross-border municipalities by an amendment to the South African Constitution in 2005.[4] The municipality was a part of the North West province from 2005 to 2009, when it was reincorporated into Gauteng by another amendment to the Constitution. This transfer was necessitated as a result of often violent protests in the township of Khutsong.[5]
Merafong's historical development is closely knit with the discovery of rich gold deposits in the early 1930s.
- ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ Integrated Development Plan. Archived 2011-10-09 at the Wayback Machine Merafong City Local Municipality. Retrieved on Oct 6, 2009.
- ^ "NCOP Passes Merafong Bills." Archived 2010-11-28 at the Wayback Machine Press release. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Retrieved on Oct 15, 2009.