Local municipality (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
In South Africa
, a local municipality or Category B municipality is a type of municipality
that serves as the third, and most local, tier of local government. It falls under the jurisdiction of the district municipality
(also known as "districts
"); there are no local municipalities in any of the 8 metropolitan municipalities
, which have their own respective systems of urban governance. There are 226 local municipalities in South Africa.
The closest U.S. equivalent to a local municipality is the civil township
, which is a common subdivision of the county
in several states. Multiple towns, cities and farms may occupy the expanse of a local municipality. Local municipalities are usually governed by a mayor and municipal council.
s, which play a pivotal role in both municipal and national elections. The wards also serve as constituencies for the municipal councils.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, a local municipality or Category B municipality is a type of municipality
Municipalities of South Africa
Municipalities in South Africa are a division of local government that lie one level down from provincial government, forming the lowest level of democratically elected government structures in the country. The foundation for this layer of government is set out in Chapter 7 of the Constitution of...
that serves as the third, and most local, tier of local government. It falls under the jurisdiction of the district municipality
District municipality (South Africa)
In South Africa, a district municipality or Category C municipality is a municipality which executes some of the functions of local government for a district. The district municipality will in turn comprise several local municipalities, with which it shares the functions of local government...
(also known as "districts
Districts of South Africa
South Africa is divided into 52 districts . The 12th amendment to the Constitution reduced this number from 53. Another effect of this amendment is that each district is now completely contained within a province, thus eliminating cross-border districts. The districts also cover the entire area of...
"); there are no local municipalities in any of the 8 metropolitan municipalities
Metropolitan municipality (South Africa)
In South Africa, a metropolitan municipality or Category A municipality is a municipality which executes all the functions of local government for a city or conurbation...
, which have their own respective systems of urban governance. There are 226 local municipalities in South Africa.
The closest U.S. equivalent to a local municipality is the civil township
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
, which is a common subdivision of the county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
in several states. Multiple towns, cities and farms may occupy the expanse of a local municipality. Local municipalities are usually governed by a mayor and municipal council.
Elections and legislative bodies
Like metropolitan municipalities, local municipalities are further divided into electoral wardElectoral ward (South Africa)
In South Africa, wards are geopolitical subdivisions of municipalities used for electoral purposes. Each metropolitan and local municipality is delimited by the Municipal Demarcation Board into half as many wards as there are seats on the municipal council...
s, which play a pivotal role in both municipal and national elections. The wards also serve as constituencies for the municipal councils.