THE Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) has urged residents and stakeholders in metropolitan and local municipalities to fully participate in the ward delimitation process to redetermine wards ahead of next year’s local government elections.

The proposals submitted to the board could see additions to the country’s 257 municipalities.

Among the proposed redeterminations of municipal boundaries of the Msunduzi and the Richmond local municipalities and Umgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal by amalgamating the two local municipalities to establish a new category A metropolitan municipality in the Umgungundlovu district.

In the Free State, it is proposed that the troubled Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality will exclude at least six wards in Kestell, Harrismith and surrounding areas, Tlholong, Intabazwe, Selahlilwe informal settlement, Wilgepark, Schoomplaas, Kings Hill, Bergsig, Westerson, Tshiame and Makholokweng tribal areas, Sterkfontein Dam, Nature Reserve and Swinburne village, to create a new municipality.

According to the proposals, the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality’s boundaries will be further redetermined by excluding 29 wards of the former QwaQwa homeland area, including the former transitional local councils of Phuthaditjhaba and QwaQwa rural to create another new municipality.

The Mangaung Metro’s municipal boundaries as well as those of the Mohokare Local Municipality and the Xhariep District Municipality will exclude the former Naledi Local Municipality towns of Dewetsdorp, Wepener and Vanstandensrus, which currently constitute two wards - part of Mangaung.

Three wards and a portion of another in the broader Zastron area will also be excluded from the municipal areas of Mohokare local and Xhariep district municipalities to establish a new category B local municipality.

In Limpopo, it is proposed that the boundaries of Thulamela and Musina local municipalities, as well as the Vhembe District Municipality, will also be redetermined by following the boundaries of the disestablished Mutale local municipality from the municipal areas of Thulamela and Musina local municipalities to establish a new category B local municipality.

Another municipality is on the cards in Limpopo through the redetermination of the boundaries of Polokwane, Molemole, and Blouberg local municipalities by excluding portions of all three to create a new category B local municipality, formerly the Aganang Local Municipality.

In Mpumalanga, the City of Mbombela Local Municipality will exclude the former Umjindi area from its municipal area to establish a new category B local municipality, which was formerly Umjindi Local Municipality.

In the North West, the JB Marks Local Municipality will be disestablished and return to being the Tlokwe and Ventersdorp local municipalities.

The Mutale, Aganang, Tlokwe, and Ventersdorp local municipalities were all disestablished after the 2026 municipal polls. According to the MDB, lessons learned in the previous ward delimitation processes have led to the observation that most of the members of the public and stakeholders do not fully comprehend the processes involved in the delimitation of municipal wards.

The board has undertaken to consult members of the public and all its stakeholders to receive input and proposals on how the wards should be delimited for the 2026 local government elections.

”As a result, the MDB took a decision to embark on public and stakeholder education and awareness campaign before commencing with the actual ward delimitation process,” the board stated.

The MDB is expected to focus on finalising the delimitation of municipal wards, publishing final wards, and handing those wards over to the Electoral Commission of SA to prepare and conduct the 2026 local government elections.

It has promised to also focus on producing eight research reports and conducting 74 outreach activities over the period ahead to strengthen public and stakeholder awareness and education on the demarcation processes.

loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za