Mier was a local municipality within the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Its area includes the South African portion of one of the world's largest conservation areas, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The main settlement in the municipality is the town of Rietfontein.
According to the 2011 census Mier has a population of 7,003, which is the smallest of any municipality in South Africa. It is also the most sparsely populated municipality in the country, covering a land area of with a population density of . Mier is the municipality in South Africa with the highest percentage of Afrikaans speakers at 97.1%.
The name Mier is an Afrikaans word that originates from the word "mere" which means "lakes". When German missionaries visited the area a long time ago, they found the pans in the area full of water. They called them "mere". As language changed, the people later pronounced it as "mier". South African Languages - Place names
After municipal elections on 3 August 2016 it was merged with the //Khara Hais Local Municipality to form the Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality.
Main places The 2011 census divided the municipality into the following main places: Place Code Area (km2) Population Askham 377008 3.1 0 Kalahari Gemsbok National Park 377001 9,597.7 354 Klein Mier 377005 1.0 449 Loubos 377004 1.5 641 Philandersbron 377007 1.3 1,081 Rietfontein 377006 1.8 2,293 Welkom 377003 0.5 381 Remainder 377002 12,861.5 1,803 Total 7,003 Afrikaans
Other villages and populated places in the municipality include Bokspits, Brsdring, Andriesvale and Tweerivieren.
Politics The municipal council consisted of seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Four councillors were elected by first-past-the-post voting in four wards, while the remaining three were chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives was proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 18 May 2011 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of four seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election. Party Votes Seats Ward List Total % Ward List Total 1,977 1,921 3,898 52.0 3 1 4 1,154 1,128 2,282 30.4 1 1 2 636 687 1,323 17.6 0 1 1 Total 3,767 3,736 7,503 100.0 4 3 7 Spoilt votes 40 61 101
References
External links Official website