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The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (Xhosa: uMasipala oMbaxa wase Buffalo City) is a metropolitan municipality situated on the east coast of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It includes the towns of East London, Bhisho and Qonce, as well as the large townships of Mdantsane and Zwelitsha.
Buffalo City | |
|---|---|
| Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality | |
 Seal | |
.svg) Location in the Eastern Cape | |
| Coordinates: 32°59′S 27°52′E / 32.983°S 27.867°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Eastern Cape |
| Seat | East London |
| Wards | 50 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Princess Faku[1] (ANC) |
| • Deputy Mayor | Vacant |
| • Speaker | Humphrey Maxhegwana |
| • Chief Whip | Mawethu Marata (ANC) |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,536 km2 (979 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[3] | |
• Total | 975,255 |
| • Density | 380/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2022) | |
| • Black African | 84.7% |
| • Coloured | 5.2% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.0% |
| • White | 8.4% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Xhosa | 78.8% |
| • English | 11.0% |
| • Afrikaans | 7.2% |
| • Other | 3% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Municipal code | BUF |
History
editThe municipality was established as a local municipality in 2000 after South Africa's reorganisation of municipal areas, and is named after the Buffalo River, at whose mouth lies the only river port in South Africa. On 18 May 2011, it was separated from the Amathole District Municipality and converted into a metropolitan municipality.
The area has a well-developed manufacturing base, with the auto industry playing a major role. Daimler AG through its wholly owned subsidiary Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has a large assembly plant located next to the port of East London, which produces a variety of vehicles for export.
The climate is mild, with year-round sunshine. Average rainfall is 850mm (33.5 inches).
The population of 701,873 (2001) is largely African (85.2%), with White (8.4%) and Coloured (5.7%) minorities. There is also a small Indian community (0.6%).
The previous mayor, Dr Sindisile Maclean (ANC), was elected in 2000. Buffalo City elected its first female mayor on Friday, 17 March 2006. Ntombentle Peter was voted in as Executive Mayor at the inaugural meeting of the new council following the municipal elections.
Main places
editThe 2011 census divided the municipality into the following main places:
Note:Only the most populated places are reported
Politics
editThe municipal council consists of one hundred members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifty wards, while the remaining fifty 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 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of seats on the council.
The following table shows the results of the election.[5]
| Buffalo City local election, 1 November 2021 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Seats | ||||||
| Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total | ||
| African National Congress | 105,038 | 109,080 | 214,118 | 59.4% | 43 | 18 | 61 | |
| Democratic Alliance | 35,195 | 35,139 | 70,334 | 19.5% | 7 | 13 | 20 | |
| Economic Freedom Fighters | 21,165 | 22,301 | 43,466 | 12.1% | 0 | 13 | 13 | |
| Independent candidates | 8,383 | – | 8,383 | 2.3% | 0 | – | 0 | |
| United Democratic Movement | 1,476 | 1,990 | 3,466 | 1.0% | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 1,499 | 1,884 | 3,383 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| African Transformation Movement | 1,667 | 1,603 | 3,270 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| African Independent Congress | 806 | 1,756 | 2,562 | 0.7% | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| African Christian Democratic Party | 991 | 1,020 | 2,011 | 0.6% | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Freedom Front Plus | 914 | 934 | 1,848 | 0.5% | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 18 other parties | 2,895 | 4,558 | 7,453 | 2.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 180,029 | 180,265 | 360,294 | 50 | 50 | 100 | ||
| Valid votes | 180,029 | 180,265 | 360,294 | 98.2% | ||||
| Spoilt votes | 2,936 | 3,571 | 6,507 | 1.8% | ||||
| Total votes cast | 182,965 | 183,836 | 366,801 | |||||
| Voter turnout | 185,525 | |||||||
| Registered voters | 406,486 | |||||||
| Turnout percentage | 45.6% | |||||||
Hospitals
editThe following hospitals are located in the municipal area:[6]
- Life Beacon Bay Hospital [7]
- Bhisho Provincial Hospital
- Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (Mdantsane)
- Duncan Village Day Hospital
- East London Private Hospital
- Fort Grey TB Hospital
- Frere Hospital
- Grey Provincial Hospital (Qonce)
- Grey Monument Private Clinic (Qonce)
- Mount Coke Hospital (replaced by Bhisho Hospital in December 1991)[8][9]
- Nkqubela Chest Hospital (Mdantsane)
- St Dominic’s Hospital
- St James Hospital
- St Marks Clinic
Town twinning
editBuffalo City's town twins are:
References
edit- ^ "Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipaility > Mandate of the Executive Mayor". Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Buffalo City (Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa)". Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Buffalo City". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ Eastern Cape Dept of Health official website Archived 29 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Life Healthcare Archived 21 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bhisho Hospital webpage Archived 21 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ News article: Mt Coke hospital to get major facelift (published on 27 March 2007)