The Tsolwana Municipality comprises the two former Transitional Local Councils (TLCs) of Tarkastad and Hofmeyr and that of the Ntabethemba TRC. The headquarters are situated in Tarkastad. Tarkastad lies in the northern part of the Province of the Eastern Cape; Hofmeyr in the north eastern part and Ntabethemba in the southern part.

The two former TLCs are semiurban areas while Ntabethemba is 100% rural.The municipality’s population is estimated at 32,511 as per the 2001 census. The major economic activity in the area is farming and the two towns are surrounded by commercial farms. Some parts of the municipal area in Tarkastad are suitable for crop farming while others specialize mainly in animal farming with a growing trend towards game farming.

Tsolwana Municipality - The Broader Context

The Municipality is a plenary type of a municipality made up of five wards and 10 councillors.

Five of the councillors are ward councillors and the other five are political party representatives elected on the basis of proportional representation. In order for councillors to function properly and to ensure that they account directly to their constituencies, Ward Committees were elected to assist them. To ensure that these Ward Committees function properly and effectively, the Department of Housing and Local Government has provided some funding for capacitation and provision of necessary resources for the Ward Committees.

The Council consults with the community through its outreach programmes where Council talks to people about its current and envisaged programmes and also listens to community concerns.

The work of the Ward Councillors and of the Ward Committees is further complemented by the assistance they receive from the Community Development Workers (CDW). Each ward is serviced by one CDW. These two functionaries have not been without challenges in that many of the wards cover vast geographical areas which poses an accessibility challenge to Ward Committee Members and CDWs.


In order for the Council to communicate properly with the community, a communication strategy has been developed. The strategy is aimed at charting the channels of communication between the Municipality and the community. It further outlines issues that inform the communication process. The development of this strategy was the product of a collective effort of all stakeholders which eventually led to the formation of a Local Communicators Forum.


The Forum mainly discusses issues pertaining to communication and is also responsible for the annual review of the strategy.