88-437: [REDACTED] Metrorail Western Cape is a network of commuter and suburban rail services in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality (metropolitan area of Cape Town ) and in the surrounding towns of Malmesbury , Paarl , Stellenbosch and Wellington in the Western Cape province of South Africa . It is operated by Metrorail , which operates commuter rail services in the major cities of South Africa. The network
176-589: A Jam Factory. With the outbreak of the Second World War the Standard Fruit Company received an order for 170 000 cases of jam . The company was transformed into a public company, Standard Canners and Packers. In 1954 Langeberg Food Processors Ltd bought the controlling stock. In 1952 Eskom's Hex River Power Station came into production. It was built primarily for railway electrification and additional supply of electricity for rural areas. The Power Station
264-577: A Member of Parliament since 2011, was elected. The Mayoral Committee consists of 10 members who are appointed by the Executive Mayor. Each member manages a different area of the local government. The current city manager is Lungelo Mbandazayo. He had been the acting city manager since the former city manager Achmat Ebrahim, who was appointed in April 2006, resigned in January 2018 amid misconduct allegations. He
352-477: A church and central market place for the frontier farmers. With the market established, Scottish artisans settled in the town, bringing their skills as tinsmiths, coppersmiths, blacksmiths, shoemakers etc. By the mid-1830s the Colonial interior was starting to open up and Worcester as frontier town would gain by this. The first economic boon would come in the form of livestock trading and fresh produce farming followed by
440-595: A dismal showing in the general elections that year, the NNP prepared for dissolution and merger with the ANC, and most of its councillors joined the governing party. This gave the ANC an outright majority on the council, which lasted until the next election. In the 2006 local government election , the DA was the largest single party, ahead of the ANC, but with no party holding a majority. The new Independent Democrats (ID) led by Patricia de Lille
528-529: A diversion and storage dam had been constructed in Fairy Glen, followed by the completion of a filtration and chlorination plant in 1936. By 1945 Worcester started planning to build a proper water impounding scheme. Construction of the Stettynskloof Dam started in 1952. The work was undertaken by Beton und Monierbau Aktiengesellschaft of Düsseldorf , Germany. Dr. Heinz Schulze was the head engineer and work
616-663: A downtown section for so-called poor Whites and Coloured people. Even the Dutch Reformed Congregation would censure European and Coloured people living under desegregated circumstances. Worcester received Municipal status on 30 September 1895. A Town Council, consisting of 8 members governed the town. When Black Africans returned to Worcester at the end of the First World War , they were mainly employed as cheap labour for new construction programs springing up around town. By 1936, 1271 Black African people were living in
704-542: A firm council majority, several of the smaller coalition partners were dropped from the city government by the time of the 2009 general elections, including the ACDP and FF+. The DA's Ian Neilson became deputy mayor, while Dirk Smit, who had defected to the DA, retained the position of speaker. Helen Zille left the mayorship the same year to take up the position of premier of the Western Cape, and Dan Plato became mayor. In 2010,
792-476: A low of 300 millimetres or 12 inches in the Nuy and Scherpenheuvel areas to the east and southeast. George Parker owned a shop and managed the first Post Office on the south side of town, from 1824 to 1860. His salary as Post Master was about 24 ZAR per year, and as Shopkeeper, by ordinance, he had to supply twelve months worth of credit to clients. The town of Worcester was founded as an administrative seat and to create
880-480: A municipality or the divisional council. From 1972 no new non-white voters could be registered as voters for municipal or divisional councils, and existing non-white voters lost their voting rights when a management committee was established for the area where they lived. In 1982 the Black Local Authorities Act created elected town councils for black communities. Five such councils were established in
968-584: A people. European settlement took place at Waay Hoek, Bossiesveld, Kleinbosch, Slanghoek, Brandvalley, Vendutiekraal, Rooye Wal and Doornrivier. The first farms in the Hex River Valley were Kloppersbosch and De Buffelskraal, dating from 1731. With the European settlers came their slaves and eventually so-called free Khoi, who would settle on the farms as labourers. With the Cape Colony interior expanding with
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#17329018291411056-556: A settled area. Before 1700, the area now known as the Breede River Valley was a hunter's paradise, teeming with game and wild birds. The main source of income, especially the sale of elephant tusks came from hunting licenses issued by the Dutch East India Company . By 1709 European farmers were given grazing rights in the area "over de Breede Rivier." In 1714 the first quitrent farms were released. Settlement in most cases
1144-555: A transitional metropolitan council named the Cape Metropolitan Council (CMC). The CMC would replace the Regional Services Council and take over its responsibilities; it would also be responsible for metro-level planning and co-ordination, improving service delivery in disadvantaged areas, and cross-subsidization of poorer areas with revenue from affluent areas. Initially, in a period called the "pre-interim phase",
1232-758: Is Antoinette Steyn. The town also serves as the hub of the Western Cape's interior commercial, distribution and retail activity with a shopping mall, well developed central business district and infrastructure. Worcester is located at an elevation of 220 metres (720 ft) and can be reached by road either travelling on the N1 highway through the Huguenot Tunnel or by driving through spectacular mountain passes. From Cape Town Du Toitskloof, from Wellington Bainskloof, from Malmesbury, Western Cape Nieuwekloof, from Ceres Mitchells, from Robertson Goree, from Hermanus Rooihoogte and from Johannesburg Hex River, with vistas over
1320-578: Is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of Cape Town and surrounding areas. As of 2022 it has a population of 4,772,846. Cape Town first received local self-government in 1839, with the promulgation of a municipal ordinance by the government of the Cape Colony . When it was created, the Cape Town municipality governed only the central part of the city known as the City Bowl , and as
1408-712: Is a town in the Western Cape , South Africa. It is the third-largest city in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is located 120 kilometres (75 mi) north-east of Cape Town on the N1 highway north to Johannesburg . Being the largest town in the Western Cape's interior region, it serves as the administrative capital of the Breede Valley Local Municipality and as regional headquarters for most central and Provincial Government Departments. Its mayor
1496-577: Is fairly comprehensive, however, some key areas have no service, notably the Atlantic Seaboard, Western Seaboard and Durbanville . There are 85 operational trainsets, made up of 1094 coaches. There are 671 scheduled trains per weekday, operating over 460 kilometres (290 mi) of the track to 122 stations and 4 halts . In 2018 there were around 500,000 daily users of the service. The services are divided into three areas, each of which has various branches. All services either commence or terminate at
1584-501: Is the southern terminus, many trains terminate at Fish Hoek because the line south of Fish Hoek is single-track. The Cape Flats Line travels east from Cape Town as far as Maitland , then turns south through Athlone , rejoining the Southern Line at Heathfield. The service terminates at Retreat . The Central Line serves areas to the southeast of the city centre. Trains run from Cape Town to Langa on two different routes, one around
1672-689: The African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Party (DP). Fearing further losses, the NNP agreed to contest the upcoming local election in December 2000 together with the DP by forming the Democratic Alliance (DA), with DP and NNP members running as DA candidates. The DA won Cape Town with an outright majority, and Peter Marais , also a senior member of the provincial NNP, became mayor of
1760-665: The Hex River Valley . Geographically, the district is delimited mainly by mountains; to the southwest lies the massive Stettyns mountain range with an annual rainfall in excess of 2000 mm. To the west lie the Du Toitskloof Mountains and northwest lies the Slanghoek, Little Drakenstein, Elandskloof and Lemiet mountain ranges. To the north rises the Hex River Mountains which include the towering peaks of Chavonnes, Brandwacht, Fonteintjiesberg and Audensberg. Northeast of
1848-546: The 1880s a Jewish community of traders and capital-rich business people would follow. The early 1900s saw the first Greek residents and business people. Belgian , French , Italian and Portuguese communities all settled in Worcester at the end of World War II. By 1882 the Cape Colonial Government proclaimed that the railway line should be extended to Robertson. The New Cape Central Railway Company (NCCR) undertook
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#17329018291411936-529: The 1970s. Today some light industries such as millers, coldddrink manufacturers, food manufacturers, furniture manufacturers, paint manufacturers, joineries and engineering works are located in the town. Worcester originally drew its water from the Hex River. The early water distribution method was very primitive. The water ran in over Joubert's Mill and then flowed in open channels through the town. The first reservoir and distribution pipes were built in 1875. In 1910
2024-513: The 19th century. By the 1850s the necessity for the formation of a hamlet west of the Breede River had become clear; the ward was cut off from Worcester during the rainy season when the river burst it banks regularly. The farm Aan-de-Smalblaar was transported to Johannes Petrus Jordaan on 23 July 1858. Jan Jordaan divided a portion of the farm into 57 residential plots and these were sold at a Public Auction on 11 June 1859. The hamlet of Rawsonville
2112-577: The ACDP was elected executive deputy mayor and Jacob "Dirk" Smit of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) was elected speaker. The initially fragile position of this new DA-led coalition, also known as the Multi-Party Government, was improved in January 2007 with the introduction of the ID following the expulsion of the small Africa Muslim Party for conspiring with the ANC. As a result of the ID's support,
2200-407: The Breede River, Botha, Slanghoek and Goudini wards the soils are sandy loams with a varying loose stone content and a fairly high, free water table. Along the river banks in the Nuy, Doornrivier, Aan De Doorns and Overhex wards, fertile alluvial and calcareous clayish soils can be found. The annual average rainfall in the Slanghoek area is in excess of 1,500 millimetres or 60 inches, in contrast with
2288-475: The Cape Metropolitan Council and the six interim TMSs were dissolved and replaced by the unified City of Cape Town. It is for this reason that the City of Cape Town is sometimes referred to as the "Unicity". At the time of the 2000 election the northern boundary of the metropolitan area was also extended to include Philadelphia , Klipheuwel , and the surrounding farmland. The current municipality covers Cape Point in
2376-709: The Cape metropolitan areas. They were generally regarded as under-resourced and unsustainable, and were opposed by the United Democratic Front and other civic organisations. Turnout in BLA elections was very low. In 1987 the divisional councils of the Cape, Paarl and Stellenbosch were dissolved and the Western Cape Regional Services Council (RSC) was created in their place. The RSC councils were indirectly elected, consisting of representatives nominated by all
2464-458: The DA and ID formalized an agreement in which the ID would merge into the DA by 2014. This was prompted in part by the ID's disappointing result in the 2009 general election. As per the agreement, ID ceased to exist at the local level after the 2011 municipal elections with ID members running as DA candidates. DA won a large outright majority in the election, and ID leader Patricia de Lille, who had defeated Plato in an earlier internal election, became
2552-569: The Governor and His Excellency's reply, there were short speeches by Sir Arthur Cunningham, Commander of the Forces, and Sir John Molteno , the Cape Prime Minister, and an adjournment made to the grand luncheon or banquet. In the evening there was a ball, at which most people enjoyed themselves, undeterred by the failure of the lighting and refreshments arrangement." During 1875 the farm De Doorns in
2640-576: The Hottentots-Holland, Wemmershoek and Slanghoek mountains to the Groot Winterhoek mountains, lay through the Roodezand Pass into the valley of Tulbagh . From here the road gave access in the south-east to "the original great rift valley of Africa" as Jan Smuts once described the Breede River Valley. Worcester district is as old as hunting grounds and cattle runs go in the Cape, but new as
2728-598: The Opposition Khalid Sayed MMP Chief Whip of the Official Opposition Ayanda Bans MMP Municipal: Cape Town is governed by a 231-member city council elected in a system of mixed-member proportional representation . The city is divided into 116 wards , each of which elects a councillor by first-past-the-post voting . The remaining 115 councillors are elected from party lists so that
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2816-543: The Reverend William Murray and the Church Council petitioned the Cape Colonial Government against the use of trains on Sundays. By the 1880s 40 companies manufactured wagons in Worcester, Fairbairn- Durban- and Riebeeck Streets housed these factories. The Worcester Industry slowly died as the railway lines became a more effective mode of transportation. The Western Wine and Brandy Company founded in 1895 built
2904-472: The White Areas and affluent residential areas towards the north of the town. The early years of Apartheid would also see the old town being transformed into a central business district. Most of the character and charm of the old buildings was lost as the then government and society replaced these buildings with new administrative and retail buildings, based on "New-World" consumerism . Grand Apartheid would leave
2992-819: The Worcester district. At the end of the Second World War , housing in Worcester was at a premium and Worcester had a squatter camp at Parkersdam. It was also during these years that Worcester started to expand with new residential areas and an industrial area. The apartheid regime responded by total segregation of the different communities. In the Coloured area 1350 sub-economic dwellings and 584 economic dwellings were built in Esselen Park Uitbreiding (extension) also known as "ICE CHASSIS", Roodewal and Riverview. In addition, 230 plots were sold in Esselen Park for
3080-497: The city expanded, new suburbs became new municipalities, until by 1902 there were 10 separate municipalities in the Cape Peninsula . During the 20th century, many of the inner suburban municipalities became unsustainable; in 1913 the first major unification took place when the municipalities of Cape Town, Green Point and Sea Point , Woodstock , Mowbray , Rondebosch , Claremont , Maitland , and Kalk Bay were unified to create
3168-410: The coalition significantly increased its majority, resulting in a much more stable city government. The ID's Charlotte Williams became executive deputy mayor. However, she resigned just a few months later, and the post then went to Grant Haskin of the ACDP in late 2007. The DA would also bolster its position through by-election victories and floor crossing defections. With the ID and DA together holding
3256-479: The community divided and in segregated living areas. A separate Management Committee for Coloured People was introduced on 2 April 1965. With the coming of democracy to South Africa, Worcester now forms part of the Breede Valley Local Municipality . Worcester experiences more extremes of temperature than neighbouring Cape Town, as oceanic influences are blocked by the Du Toitskloof and Slanghoek mountain ranges to
3344-505: The construction of this line and it was completed in September 1887. Newspapers of the era informed the public of 3 up and 3 down trains on a daily basis. In addition to the new line, railway sidings were established throughout the district. From Cape Town at Breërivier, Botha's Halt, Goudini Road and Chavonnes. To Kimberley at De Wet, Sandhills and Orchard. On the NCCR line at Overhex and Nuy. In 1883
3432-593: The country's viticultural output. The Olof Bergh Solera Brandy Cellar and the KWV Brandy Cellar form part of the South African Brandy Route and 33 wineries produce and bottle in the Worcester area. The first export grapes planted in the Hex River Valley dates from 1875. Today the Hex River Valley produces more than 17 million cartons of table grapes per annum. In the dryer southern regions of
3520-506: The crop was dried for raisins, and this continued to be an important aspect of the local industry into the 20th century. The decline in the demand for raisins after the Second World War persuaded most of the farmers to convert to wine-grape growing: and in response to this change an extensive network of co-operative wineries sprang up. Today the Breede River Valley is the largest wine-producing region in South Africa, contributing almost 25% of
3608-520: The development of a wagon industry. Due to the fact that Worcester was the last town before the Karoo interior, hotels and shops started to spring up to replenish travellers. With a solid foundation for economic development laid by 1845 and the road across the Bainskloof pass completed in 1852, bringing quicker access to Cape Town, it was time for Worcester to move forward. The Worcester Commercial Bank Unlimited
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3696-459: The erection of dwellings by purchasers. Mostly Indian traders were forced to move their businesses from the declared White areas and resettle in the downtown business district of Durban Street. The Zweletemba township, to the southeast of the town, was awarded 524 sub-economic, 300 economic dwellings and two hostel schemes of 1274 units for single persons. Due to the policy of Apartheid, these people were not considered to be permanent residents and it
3784-443: The existing local authorities would become TMSs but their councils would be replaced by councillors nominated by the members of the negotiating forum. This agreement came into effect, and the pre-interim phase began, on 1 February 1995. The second phase of the transformation, known as the "interim phase" began on 29 May 1996 when local elections were held . The pre-interim TMSs were dissolved, and six new TMSs were established covering
3872-517: The first distillery in Porter Street. By 1918 the KWV was founded and took control of the distillery. JS Naudè & Co controlled the buying and distribution of deciduous fruit from 1899 onwards. The company developed internal, African and in later years European markets. By 1960 all the companies in Worcester amalgamated to form Deciduous Fruit Distributors of Worcester. The Prune Growers Association
3960-586: The first City of Cape Town. In 1927 the municipality of Wynberg was also merged with Cape Town, with the result that all of the Southern Suburbs were incorporated into the City. Many new municipalities were established during the 20th century. Durbanville achieved municipal status in 1901, Goodwood in 1938, Parow in 1939, Bellville and Fish Hoek in 1940, Pinelands in 1948, Kuils River in 1950, Milnerton in 1955, Kraaifontein in 1957, Gordon's Bay in 1961, Brackenfell in 1970. In 1979 Bellville
4048-491: The first official advertisement for the sale of plots was issued. On 28 February 1820, the official date of the establishment of Worcester, 89 of the proclaimed 144 plots were sold. Fischer also reported that "this place becomes more important when the new road over the Franschhoek Mountains will be completed." The African Rifles Regiment started construction of this road in 1819. A winter storm in 1822 caused damage to
4136-455: The head railway engineer, and with the help of Thomas Bain, the line to Worcester was opened on 16 June 1876. On the opening of the station at Worcester, the Cape Argus reported as follows: "Worcester, on June 16, 1876, was the scene of elaborate ceremony and of a very large and distinguished assemblage to witness the railway opening by Sir Henry Barkly . After the address had been presented to
4224-517: The higher lying ground above 1,500 metres or 4,900 feet. Daytime maximums range from 10 to 17 °C (50.0 to 62.6 °F), with minimums hovering at or just above freezing. Winter brings most of Worcester's annual rainfall. The town lies in a curious rain-shadow phenomenon caused by the surrounding high mountains. There are a number of wards within the Worcester District, reflecting a marked internal variation in soil types and micro-climates. In
4312-544: The local authorities within its area, including municipalities, management committees and town councils. The Cape Rural Council represented the rural areas of the RSC that were not included in any local authority. Also in 1987, an act of the House of Assembly allowed the creation of local councils for white communities in peri-urban areas. Thus at the end of apartheid in 1994, there were over 50 different local authorities in existence in
4400-461: The main Cape Town station in the centre of the city, which has 24 platforms . All services are by electric multiple units , aside from the daily train to Malmesbury which is on a non-electrified line. [REDACTED] The Southern Line travels from central Cape town through the Southern Suburbs to Muizenberg , and then along the edge of False Bay to Simon's Town . Although Simon's Town
4488-445: The metropolitan area, listed below. As part of the post-1994 reforms, municipal government experienced a complete overhaul. The existing local authorities, political parties, ratepayers' organisations, and community organisations were brought together into a negotiating forum. This forum agreed on the creation of a two-level local government system consisting of multiple transitional metropolitan substructures (TMSs), brought together in
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#17329018291414576-504: The municipality into the following main places : The planning districts are: The City of Cape Town is also bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Two city managers were accused of corruption relating to a R186m urban waste management tender. In October 2024, the city announced it was investigating the allegations. Worcester, Western Cape Worcester ( / ˈ w ʊ s t ər / WUUST -ər )
4664-434: The new mayor. The party extended its lead even further to win a two-thirds majority of the seats on the City of Cape Town council in the 2016 municipal elections, and De Lille was thus sworn in to serve a second term. It was however cut short following her resignation on 31 October 2018 after an extended battle with her party over accusations of covering up corruption, accusations she strongly denied. The previous mayor Dan Plato
4752-614: The opening of more shops and lodgings and other facilities to meet their needs and a rise in the town's population. These factors led to the early construction of a diverse and cosmopolitan society in Worcester, outside of Cape Town, the only town that would develop as such in the Western Province during the late 19th century. In 1890 the African Banking Corporation was established in London, all branches were overseas. The Bank
4840-535: The original 144 plots were sold. Captain Charles Trappes was responsible for the planning of the town. A dubious character in some ways, Trappes, however, was far in advance of his time when he laid out the wide streets and town blocks with vision and a high regard for squares. Trappes made the early builders put the houses close to the street and soon these builders would develop their own style of gables . An early visitor, James Backhouse found 1300 people living in
4928-450: The original plots dates back to the 1860s when the town experienced its first economic boom. By the 1890s, when there was a downturn in economic fortune the population grew at a considerable rate, as landless people moved to the town. Small industry, business and residence still operated within the original boundaries of the town. During the 1890s Worcester's community would also evolve into an uptown section for rich and middle-class people and
5016-429: The other runs from Strand via Somerset West and Kuils River to Cape Town. There are also two longer-distance trains stopping at all stations en route daily. One along the main line to Worcester and at 174 km (108 mi) the longest possible route on a commuter train in South Africa. The other is the only diesel-hauled commuter train in the Western Cape to Malmesbury which travels 78 km (48 mi) on
5104-427: The railway line reached the town in 1876. The previous decade saw German artisans arriving from Pomerania , employed by farmers. These German labourers would bring their skills as expert farmers and would play a major role in the development of the farming industry. A second group of German settlers followed in the 1870s to help with railway line construction. They again would bring skills as highly trained artisans. By
5192-502: The relief main line via Century City . After Bellville, trains run on one of three routes: through Kraaifontein and Paarl to Wellington ; via Kuils River and Stellenbosch to Muldersvlei; or Kuils River and Somerset West to Strand . Two "Business Express" trains provide a luxury commuter service, travelling from the suburbs to Cape Town in the morning and the reverse in the afternoon. One train runs from Huguenot ( Paarl ) via Kraaifontein and Brackenfell to Cape Town, while
5280-476: The right to vote in local elections was not restricted by race (see Cape Qualified Franchise ), but the policies of the apartheid government aimed for complete segregation of local government. A 1962 amendment to the Group Areas Act introduced management committees for the areas designated for coloured and Indian residents. These management committees were subordinate to the existing local authority—either
5368-445: The rising town in 1840. According to the 1844 Cape Almanac, William Watson ran one of the best hotels in the country and Bishop Gray said in 1845 that the houses were a great distance from each other. The Worcester District Council was proclaimed on 20 December 1855. The boundaries were northwest – Kleinberg, northeast – Bloutoring, southeast – Mowers Heights, southwest – Roodehoogte and west – Du Toitskloof Mountains . Sub division of
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#17329018291415456-442: The route to Bitterfontein . Frequencies can vary vastly from weekday peaks to weekend-off peaks. Services to Simon's Town, Bellville via Century City, Strand, Muldersvlei (via Stellenbosch) and Wellington are less frequent over weekends with a train about every hour on Saturdays and every two hours on a Sunday. In contrast, weekday frequencies on some lines offer three-minute headways. First-class MetroPlus coaches are always on
5544-416: The settlement of an increasing number of European settlers, Lord Charles Somerset instructed Magistrate Fischer of Tulbagh , to find a location to establish a new deputy magisterial seat during 1818. Fischer duly reported that the two quitrent farms, De Lange Rug and Roodedraai, be bought for this purpose. On 9 January 1819 the Colonial surveyors, Tulleken and Hertzog mapped the two farms and on 4 November,
5632-512: The side closest to Cape Town. Every train displays a four-digit train number. The route and destination of a specific train can be determined by just looking at the train number. Up trains travel towards Cape Town and carry even train numbers, down trains travel away from Cape Town and carry odd train numbers. Destinations can be derived from the following table: City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality The City of Cape Town ( Afrikaans : Stad Kaapstad ; Xhosa : IsiXeko saseKapa )
5720-633: The south-west, Gordon's Bay in the south-east, and Atlantis in the north, and includes Robben Island . The remote Prince Edward Islands are deemed to be part of the City of Cape Town, specifically of ward 115. The Hon Alan Winde MMP The Seventh Provincial Parliament Speaker Daylin Mitchell MMP Deputy Speaker Reagan Allen MMP Chief Whip of the Majority Party Gillon Bosman MMP Leader of
5808-467: The southern side and the other around the eastern side of Pinelands. From Langa they travel on one of three lines, going either to Mitchell's Plain , to Khayelitsha , or through Belhar to Bellville . The Northern Line serves the northern suburbs of Cape Town as well as some outlying towns. Some trains travel from Cape Town station to Bellville along the old main line through Salt River , Maitland , Goodwood and Parow , while others travel along
5896-519: The subcouncils. The executive authority for the city is vested in an Executive Mayor who is elected by the council. The mayor appoints a mayoral committee whose members oversee various portfolios. A City Manager is appointed as the non-political head of the city's administration. With the Democratic Alliance (DA) having won an absolute majority of council seats in the election of 1 November 2021 , its mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis , who had been
5984-478: The total number of councillors for each party is proportional to the number of votes received by that party. The makeup of the council after the 2021 election is shown in the following table. The speaker of the council is Felicity Purchase of the Democratic Alliance. The council is divided into 24 subcouncils which deal with local functions for between three and six wards. A subcouncil consists of
6072-471: The town of Tulbagh. Captain Charles Trappes recommended to Somerset that the magisterial seat be moved to the new town. By 1830, 329 farms were cultivated in the district and by 1832 the town of Worcester was becoming a frontier town with the Market Square being used for stock sales. Many a fine animal changed ownership in the days when Worcester was a jumping-off spot for the "togryers" (transport riders) of
6160-433: The town the colourful Keerom Mountain runs into the Langeberg range. Worcester and its surroundings form part of the Breede River catchment area, which is fed by a number of smaller rivers supplemented by the run-off from the winter snows in the mountains. The district also includes the Hex River Valley. In the early days of the Cape's history the main road through the great mountain barrier which stretches northwards from
6248-468: The unicity. However, DA leader Tony Leon 's attempt to remove Marais from his position in 2001 caused the disintegration of the alliance, and NNP came to ally with the ANC. Marais was replaced as mayor by Gerald Morkel , but Morkel was himself soon ousted during the October 2002 local floor crossing period after a large number of DA councillors had defected to the NNP. Nomaindia Mfeketo of the ANC became mayor supported by an ANC-NNP coalition. In 2004, after
6336-533: The valley, Olive production have also been added in recent years. Central to this agricultural production, is the Greater Brandvlei Dam, with a capacity of 342 million cubic metres. The dam was completed in 1936, fully extended by 1987 and provides water to various irrigation schemes in the valley. Lord Charles Somerset named the new town for his eldest brother, the Marquis of Worcester and by 1840, 132 of
6424-490: The ward councillors and a similar number of proportionally-elected councillors assigned to the subcouncil. A subcouncil is chaired by one of the councillors and appoints a manager to run its day-to-day business. A subcouncil does not have any inherent responsibilities in law, but it is entitled to make recommendations to the City Council about anything that affects its area. The City Council may also delegate responsibilities to
6512-556: The west. The daytime maximum in summer averages around 30 °C or 86 °F, but some days in February can reach in excess of 40 °C or 104 °F. Summer is generally dry with the rare late summer thunderstorm, whilst spring and autumn are shoulder seasons of pleasant temperatures ranging from an average 10 °C or 50 °F minimum to a 25 °C or 77 °F maximum, with the occasional rain shower. Winters are generally very windy and often cool to cold with snow being common on
6600-636: The whole metropolitan area: City of Cape Town (Central), City of Tygerberg, South Peninsula Municipality, Blaauwberg Municipality, Oostenberg Municipality, and Helderberg Municipality. The Cape Metropolitan Council continued with its coordinating functions. In 1998 Parliament enacted legislation (the Municipal Structures Act) determining the final form of local government in post-apartheid South Africa. This legislation determined that metropolitan areas would be governed by unified metropolitan municipalities . Local elections were held on 5 December 2000 ;
6688-555: Was chosen as her successor. The DA's Geordin Hill-Lewis was voted in as mayor after the 2021 local government elections. The following table shows the results of the 2021 election. The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period since the election in November 2021. The municipality has a total area of 2455 km . Subdivision varies according to purpose. Main places for census purposes may differ from planning districts. The 2001 census divided
6776-587: Was completed in 1955. After completion of the town's sewerage scheme in 1934 considerable development took place in the Worcester Municipal area. The sewerage purification works was completed in 1962, with an estimated life span of 30 years. In 1846 construction on the Bainskloof Pass started, Andrew Geddes Bain was the head engineer and the road was completed in 1852. By November 1863, only 60 kilometres of railway line (from Cape Town to Wellington)
6864-408: Was demolished in 1990. The main incentive in 1949 for the establishment of Hex River Textiles Mills Ltd was the plentiful supply of labour, as well as the suitability of the Hex River's water for the purpose. Operating at its peak during the 1960s, the factory employed 1200 workers. The multi-national company, Rainbow Chicken Ltd invested substantial capital in farms and a factory in Worcester during
6952-575: Was formally appointed city manager in April 2018. The local municipality was one of the four to have passed the 2009-10 audit by the Auditor-General of South Africa , who deemed it to have a clean administration. The City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality in its present form took shape after the 2000 municipal elections. The old Central Cape Town MLC council had been governed by the New National Party (NNP), but they were losing support to
7040-521: Was formed as a consortium bank owned jointly by Lloyds Bank , National Provincial , Westminster and Standard Bank of South Africa . In December 1891, Articles of Agreement were drawn up with the Worcester Bank and operations were handed over to African Banking Corporation in February 1892. Finance would bring the Industrial Revolution to Worcester and economic growth really started once
7128-456: Was founded in 1890; by 1907 this organisation was changed to a company, which would become Safari SAD. The first branch opened in Porter Street in 1921. The Union Vinegar Company was established in 1913. It was the first South African factory to produce Beetroot salad . Other products included vinegar, pickled onions, piccalilli, tomato sauce and Worcester sauce . Simon and Woolf Heller were merchants in dried fruit . In 1930 they established
7216-529: Was in operation in the whole of "South Africa". However, the discovery of diamonds in Kimberley , and the attainment of Responsible Government for the Cape Colony in 1872, prompted the Cape Prime Minister John Molteno to start expansion of the railway- and telegraph lines to Kimberley. The Cape Government Railways were immediately formed for this purpose. Thomas Brounger was appointed as
7304-488: Was in third place. The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) initiated negotiations with five other smaller parties who together formed a kingmaker block of fifteen councillors, collectively known as the Multi-Party Forum parties. Despite the ID voting with the ANC, Helen Zille of the DA was elected executive mayor on 15 March 2006 by a very narrow margin with the support of the Multi-Party Forum. Andrew Arnolds of
7392-562: Was named for William Rawson, the Cape Colonial Secretary. German settlers employed as "tagloners" on the surrounding farms from 1860 onwards, would soon use the abundance of fertile soil, water and their skilled labour to see the area evolve from livestock farming to cultivated land, orchards and vineyards . By 1865 the production from the flourishing vineyards compared favourably with the Stellenbosch and Paarl valleys. Much of
7480-574: Was not on a permanent basis and "Hartebees huisies" were erected. When European settlers first arrived at the later Cape Colony , the Breede River Valley was inhabited by San hunter/gatherers and Khoi livestock farmers. The Gainou, Korannas and Afrikaner tribes traded livestock with the settlers. With the European settlers came the smallpox virus, that would turn into an epidemic for the Khoi people and by 1713 would take its toll on their existence as
7568-458: Was officially established in 1856. Due to growth in the wagon making industry, the Bank ran into a credit crisis by 1864. Discounting of bills of exchange became difficult and investors started to withdraw their money. Only a £6000 capital injection by the board of directors saved the Bank from ruin. The discovery of diamonds brought a steadier stream of prospectors travelling through Worcester. This led to
7656-458: Was only after the abolishment of influx control in 1986 that the township population really exploded. In 1985, students protested over Afrikaans being a dominant language at school. Riots broke out and several students were shot by police in Robertson Road. A student named Nkosana Nation Bahumi was killed due to the protests. A further 67 sub-economic and 137 economic dwellings were developed in
7744-554: Was upgraded to city status. The areas not included in a municipality were governed by divisional councils. Most of the Cape metropolitan area fell under the Divisional Council of the Cape, while the eastern parts around Brackenfell, Kuils River and the Helderberg area formed part of the Divisional Council of Stellenbosch, and an area in the northeast around Kraaifontein formed part of the Divisional Council of Paarl. In earlier years
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