Ntabankulu Local Municipality

Ntabankulu Municipality (Xhosa: uMasipala wase Ntabankulu) is a local municipality within the Alfred Nzo District Municipality, in the Wild Coast Region of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Ntabankulu is an isiXhosa word meaning "great or big mountain", since the municipal area is mountainous in character.^[4]

Ntabankulu
Local municipality
Seal
Location in the Eastern Cape
Coordinates: 32°10′S 28°35′E
Country	South Africa
Province	Eastern Cape
District	Alfred Nzo
Seat	Tabankulu
Wards	18
Government [1]
• Type	Municipal council
• Mayor	Priscilla Tsileng Sobuthongo (ANC)
• Speaker	Vuyokazi Matwasa (ANC)
• Chief Whip	Sesulo Sophaqa (ANC)
Area
• Total	1,385 km2 (535 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	123,976
• Density	90/km2 (230/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	99.4%
• Coloured	0.4%
• Indian/Asian	0.1%
• White	0.1%
First languages (2011) [3]
• Xhosa	95.2%
• English	1.4%
• Other	3.4%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code	EC444

It was formerly part of the OR Tambo District Municipality, but was transferred to the Alfred Nzo District Municipality after the 2011 municipal election.^[5]

Main places

The 2011 census for the Ntabankulu Municipality states a population of 123,976 with these most populated main places^[6]

Place	Code	Area (km2)	Population	Most spoken language
Bhakubha	298039	3.84	2,431	Xhosa
Bhonxa	298061	8.43	3,969	Xhosa
Dambeni	298062	11.52	3,983	Xhosa
Dedelo	298015	12.48	2,957	Xhosa
Matshona	298096	7.41	4,427	Xhosa
Mbongweni	298013	8.86	3,104	Xhosa
Mfundisweni	298037	4.50	2,793	Xhosa
Tabankulu	298077	19.51	3,266	Xhosa
Full Ntabanku 2011 census data	298	1,384.96	123,976	Xhosa

Politics

Main article: Ntabankulu Local Municipality elections

The municipal council consists of thirty-eight members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Nineteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in nineteen wards, while the remaining nineteen 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 thirty-one seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.^[7]

Party		Ward			List			Total seats
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
	African National Congress	25,752	81.48	19	25,540	80.93	12	31
	Economic Freedom Fighters	3,483	11.02	0	3,710	11.76	4	4
	African Transformation Movement	498	1.58	0	512	1.62	1	1
	Democratic Alliance	439	1.39	0	440	1.39	1	1
	African Independent Congress	251	0.79	0	499	1.58	1	1
	Independent candidates	674	2.13	0				0
	United Democratic Movement	271	0.86	0	326	1.03	0	0
	God Save Africa	126	0.40	0	194	0.61	0	0
	Socialist Party of South Africa	84	0.27	0	143	0.45	0	0
	Patriotic Alliance	22	0.07	0	122	0.39	0	0
	Independent South African National Civic Organisation	5	0.02	0	71	0.22	0	0
Total		31,605	100.00	19	31,557	100.00	19	38
Valid votes		31,605	97.77		31,557	97.28
Invalid/blank votes		721	2.23		881	2.72
Total votes		32,326	100.00		32,438	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		67,099	48.18		67,099	48.34