Swellendam Local Municipality: History
At end of the apartheid era in the early 1990s, there were municipal councils for the towns of Swellendam and Barrydale, and a local council for Infanta. These councils were elected by the white residents of the towns. Coloured residents elected management committees, which were subordinate to the white local authorities, in Railton (Swellendam) and Smitsville (Barrydale). The former mission station of Suurbraak was governed by a management board, and the remaining rural areas fell under the Overberg Regional Services Council.
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, transitional local councils (TLCs) were created for each town and village. In December 1994 the Swellendam TLC was created, replacing the Municipality of Swellendam and the Railton Management Committee. In January 1995 the Barrydale TLC replaced the Barrydale Municipality and the Smitsville Management Committee. In the same month the Suurbraak TLC replaced the Suurbraak Management Board. In Infanta, where there had been no negotiations, the local council remained in place until October 1995 when it was converted into a TLC.
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 Overberg District Council was established, replacing the Overberg 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 the Swellendam Municipality included most of the Swellendam TRC as well as small areas of the Bredasdorp, Langeberg and Wynland TRCs.
At the local elections of December 2000 the TLCs and TRCs were dissolved, and the Swellendam Municipality was created as a single local authority incorporating both rural and urban areas.In 2011 rural land to the north and west of Barrydale was incorporated into the municipality when District Management Areas were abolished.