Swartland Local Municipality: History
At the end of the apartheid era, in the area that is today the Swartland Municipality there were municipal councils for Malmesbury, Moorreesburg, Darling, Riebeek-Kasteel, Riebeek West and Koringberg, and a local council for Yzerfontein. These councils were elected by the white residents, while the coloured residents of Malmesbury, Moorreesburg, Greenville (Darling), Riebeek-Kasteel (Esterhof) and Riebeek West were governed by management committees subordinate to the white councils. The remaining rural areas were served by the West Coast Regional Services Council.
While the negotiations to end apartheid were taking place a process was established for local authorities to negotiate voluntary mergers. Moorreesburg took part in this process, which resulted in the municipality merging with its management committee to form a new non-racial municipality in June 1993.
After the national elections of 1994 a process of local government transformation began, in which negotiations were held between the existing local authorities, political parties, and local community organisations. As a result of these negotiations, the existing local authorities were dissolved and transitional local councils (TLCs) were created for each town and village. In December 1994 Darling TLC replaced Darling Municipality and Greenville Management Committee. In January 1995 Malmesbury TLC replaced the municipalities of Malmesbury, Riebeek-Kasteel and Riebeek West, as well as their respective management committees. In the same month Moorreesburg TLC replaced the merged Moorreesburg Municipality. In October 1995 Koringberg Municipality and Yzerfontein Local Council were each converted to TLCs.
The transitional councils were initially made up of members nominated by the various parties to the negotiations, until May 1996 when elections were held. At these elections the West Coast District Council was established, replacing the West Coast Regional Services Council. Transitional representative councils (TRCs) were also elected to represent rural areas outside the TLCs on the District Council; the area that was to become Swartland Municipality included much of the Malmesbury TRC and a small part of the Paarl TRC.
At the local elections of December 2000 the TLCs and TRCs were dissolved and the Swartland Municipality was established as a single local authority incorporating both rural and urban areas.