Govan Mbeki Local Municipality
310 117
Population
Census 2022
2 955
Square kilometres
104.9 per km2
103 864
Households
63
Council seats
Govan Mbeki Local Municipality is a local municipality in Mpumalanga, covering 2 955 square kilometres. It falls within the Gert Sibande District Municipality. It takes in the towns and settlements of Bethal, Charl Cilliers, Embalenhle, Evander, Kinross, Leandra, Secunda and Trichardt.
Census 2022 counted 310 117 residents, making it the 10th most populous of the 20 municipalities in Mpumalanga and 80th of 257 nationally. That works out to 104.9 people per square kilometre. Settlement is concentrated rather than scattered. There are 103 864 households, averaging 3.0 people each. 25.4% of residents are under 15 and 4.7% are over 65. Among residents aged 20 and over, 8.1% hold a higher education qualification and 7.1% have had no schooling.
The council has 63 seats across 7 parties, with ANC holding the largest share at 26 seats (41.3%). Hung Council governs the municipality. Mr NG Zuma serves as executive mayor (ANC), and Mr EN Maseko is municipal manager.
On this site’s financial health measure, which weighs the Auditor-General’s opinion alongside operating margin, liquidity, cash cover and irregular spending, Govan Mbeki scores 37.9 out of 100 for 2024/25, a grade of E, described as distressed. Its most recent audit outcome was recorded as “financially unqualified”. In 2024/25 it reported R3.5 billion in operating revenue against R4.3 billion in expenditure, an operating deficit of R860.1 million. At the last census, 66.4% of households had piped water inside the dwelling, 92.8% used electricity for lighting and 85.2% had refuse removed weekly.
Council and management
Seats: Electoral Commission, 2021 local government elections
- ANC 26 41.3%
- DA 17 27.0%
- EFF 13 20.6%
- VF PLUS 3 4.8%
- ARP. 2 3.2%
- ATM 1 1.6%
- IFP 1 1.6%
Office bearers
Executive Mayor
Mr NG Zuma
ANC
Deputy Mayor
n/a
Speaker
Ms FF Magagamela
ANC
Chief Whip
Mr MJ Mtsweni
Municipal Manager
Mr EN Maseko
Chief Financial Officer
Ms Morufa Moloto
Mayoral Committee
Mr AV Mbokazi
MMC: Civil Engineering and Ward 29
Mayoral Committee
Mr L Ziwele
MMC: Energy
Mayoral Committee
Mr Marius Masinga
MMC: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Mayoral Committee
Ms ME Nsibande
MMC: Revenue
Mayoral Committee
Mr PD Mtshali
MMC: Corporate Services
Mayoral Committee
Mr SI Sibanyoni
MPAC Chairperson
Mayoral Committee
Mr T Seimela
MMC: Community Services
Mayoral Committee
Mrs TP Mtsweni
MMC: Finance and Ward 24
Mayoral Committee
Mrs YT Ngxonono
MMC: Planning and Development
Senior Management
Ms IMT Jezile
Chief of Staff
Senior Management
Mr L Dube
Regional Manager: Region 1
Senior Management
Mr MR Mashiane
Regional Manager: Region 3
Senior Management
Mr R Maswanganyi
Director: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Senior Management
Mr S Gumede
Regional Manager: Region 2
Senior Management
Mr V Mlangeni
Director: Civil Engineering
Communications
Mr Lucky Mhlongo
Communications
Finances
National Treasury, audited outcomes
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUDIT OUTCOME | Financially unqualified | Qualified audit | Qualified audit | Qualified audit | Qualified audit |
Financial performance
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property rates | 376 757 | 399 974 | 380 366 | 372 877 | 351 686 |
| Service charges | 1 720 174 | 1 403 273 | 1 405 735 | 1 313 517 | 1 259 966 |
| Investment revenue | 3 793 | 14 899 | 17 937 | 9 052 | 7 608 |
| Transfers recognised - operational | 491 443 | 458 328 | 412 330 | 369 056 | 421 019 |
| Other own revenue | 858 999 | 1 279 821 | 300 273 | 181 838 | 176 394 |
| Total Revenue (excluding capital transfers and contributions) | 3 451 166 | 3 556 296 | 2 516 641 | 2 246 339 | 2 216 673 |
| Employee costs | 752 563 | 637 392 | 611 264 | 568 554 | 563 548 |
| Remuneration of councillors | 33 386 | 35 846 | 25 691 | 24 398 | 24 873 |
| Depreciation and amortisation | 129 064 | 135 603 | 133 317 | 168 353 | 237 666 |
| Finance charges | 298 802 | 635 654 | 365 485 | 187 290 | 103 385 |
| Inventory consumed and bulk purchases | 1 668 948 | 1 533 962 | 1 297 304 | 1 227 010 | 1 078 162 |
| Transfers and subsidies | 39 531 | 35 253 | 21 499 | 30 810 | 44 000 |
| Other expenditure | 1 388 956 | 1 188 350 | 1 092 308 | 841 454 | 748 853 |
| Total Expenditure | 4 311 250 | 4 202 061 | 3 546 868 | 3 047 869 | 2 800 489 |
| Surplus/(Deficit) | -860 084 | -645 765 | -1 030 227 | -801 529 | -583 816 |
| Transfers and subsidies - capital (monetary allocations) | 122 958 | 136 489 | 137 055 | 88 096 | 104 206 |
| Transfers and subsidies - capital (in-kind) | 3 917 | 178 | 5 987 | 4 670 | 2 442 |
| Surplus/(Deficit) after capital transfers & contributions | -733 209 | -509 099 | -887 185 | -708 764 | -477 167 |
| Share of surplus/(deficit) of associate | - | - | - | - | - |
| Surplus/(Deficit) for the year | -733 209 | -509 099 | -887 185 | -708 764 | -477 167 |
Capital expenditure & funds sources
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital expenditure | 296 011 | 318 401 | 209 693 | 233 310 | 256 428 |
| Transfers recognised - capital | 167 835 | 105 172 | 99 041 | 108 909 | 87 769 |
| Borrowing | - | - | - | - | - |
| Internally generated funds | 112 744 | 25 775 | 43 892 | 8 049 | - |
| Total sources of capital funds | 280 579 | 130 947 | 142 933 | 116 958 | 87 769 |
Financial position
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total current assets | 2 857 972 | 2 111 811 | 1 770 388 | 1 577 708 | 1 214 666 |
| Total non current assets | 3 223 346 | 3 043 035 | 2 921 391 | 2 801 611 | 2 898 877 |
| Total current liabilities | 7 553 079 | 4 699 432 | 6 015 817 | 4 821 866 | 3 929 459 |
| Total non current liabilities | 1 358 643 | 2 565 336 | 377 355 | 369 440 | 246 273 |
| Community wealth/Equity | -3 361 858 | -2 109 924 | -1 701 392 | -811 987 | -196 939 |
Cash flows
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash from (used) operating | 1 037 245 | 781 590 | 862 475 | 866 725 | 2 150 589 |
| Net cash from (used) investing | -164 771 | -188 812 | -155 174 | -105 411 | -89 324 |
| Net cash from (used) financing | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cash/cash equivalents at the year end | 898 225 | 782 218 | 977 435 | 964 511 | 2 286 721 |
Unauthorised, irregular, fruitless & wasteful expenditure
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unauthorised expenditure | 888 880 | 911 136 | 458 657 | 1 601 863 | 815 585 |
| Irregular expenditure | 134 703 | 157 993 | 141 293 | 101 117 | 79 610 |
| Fruitless & wasteful expenditure | 250 200 | 295 680 | 327 828 | 242 112 | 85 106 |
Source: Audited Outcome A1 2026 Q1
People
Statistics South Africa, Census
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 310 117 | 340 091 | 294 538 |
Age structure
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population under 15 | 25.4% | 25.2% | 26.9% |
| Population 15 to 64 | 69.8% | 70.6% | 69.4% |
| Population over 65 | 4.7% | 4.2% | 3.7% |
Dependency ratio
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 (15-64) | 43.2 | 41.7 | 44 |
Sex ratio
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Males per 100 females | 100.3 | 108.5 | 106.9 |
Population growth
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per annum | 0.5% | 3.3% | n/a |
Labour market
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (official) | n/a | n/a | 26.2 |
| Youth unemployment rate (official) 15-34 | n/a | n/a | 34.4 |
Education (aged 20 +)
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No schooling | 7.1% | 6.5% | 7.9% |
| Matric | n/a | 37.3 | 31.3 |
| Higher education | 8.1% | 10.5% | 11.8% |
Household dynamics
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households | 103 864 | 108 894 | 83 869 |
| Average household size | 3 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
| Female headed households | n/a | 30.8 | 30.8 |
| Formal dwellings | 86.4% | 76.3% | 71.0% |
| Housing owned | n/a | 56.5 | 52 |
Household services
| Measure | 2022 | 2016 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 92.0% | 91.1% | 90.4% |
| Weekly refuse removal | 85.2% | 70.3% | 91.7% |
| Piped water inside dwelling | 66.4% | 44.8% | 56.5% |
| Electricity for lighting | 92.8% | 93.7% | 90.3% |
Service delivery
National Treasury, non-financial census of municipalities
Water
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the municipality provide? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided | 137 794 | 112 643 | 116 561 | 116 561 | 108 429 |
| Number of domestic households/delivery points | 133 812 | 108 661 | 108 661 | 108 661 | 108 429 |
| Inside the yard | 120 000 | 102 473 | 102 473 | 102 473 | 102 473 |
| Less than 200m from yard | 12 000 | 5 000 | 5 000 | 5 000 | 4 800 |
| More than 200m from yard | 1 812 | 1 188 | 1 188 | 1 188 | 1 156 |
| Domestic households with access to free basic service | 9 510 | 11 515 | 11 457 | 11 547 | 12 253 |
Electricity
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the municipality provide? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided | 93 115 | 79 280 | 79 280 | 79 280 | 79 080 |
| Domestic households with access to free basic service | 8 116 | 9 469 | 11 457 | 9 496 | 9 913 |
Sewerage and sanitation
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the municipality provide? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided | 134 762 | 116 322 | 121 601 | 121 601 | 111 971 |
| Flush toilet - public sewerage | 116 129 | 102 473 | 102 473 | 102 473 | 106 301 |
| Flush toilet - septic tank | 1 500 | 1 250 | 1 250 | 1 250 | 720 |
| Ventilated pit latrine | 5 500 | 5 078 | 5 078 | 5 078 | 1 250 |
| Bucket system | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 7 812 | 3 700 | 3 700 | 3 700 | 3 700 |
| Domestic households with access to free basic service | 9 510 | 11 515 | 11 457 | 11 547 | 12 253 |
Solid waste services
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the municipality provide? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided | 85 551 | 85 551 | 85 551 | 85 551 | 85 551 |
| Domestic households with access to free basic service | 9 510 | 11 515 | 11 457 | 11 547 | 12 253 |
Staffing
National Treasury
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment Costs (R’000) | 611 264 | 568 554 | 563 548 | 506 097 | 491 016 |
| Remuneration of councillors (R’000) | 25 691 | 24 398 | 24 873 | 25 303 | 23 759 |
| Total Employee Positions | 1 862 | 1 854 | 1 206 | 2 138 | 2 125 |
| Total Vacant Employee Positions | 669 | 660 | 2 | 931 | 913 |
| Total Vacancy Percentage | 35.9% | 35.6% | 0.2% | 43.6% | 43.0% |
| Managerial Positions – S54A and S56 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| Vacant Managerial Positions – S54A and S56 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Managerial Positions - by organogram | 46 | 46 | 33 | 33 | 32 |
| Vacant Managerial Positions - by organogram | 12 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Published documents
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