Gamagara Local Municipality
Gamagara Municipality (Afrikaans: Gamagara Munisipaliteit; Tswana: Mmasepala wa Gamagara) is a local municipality within the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.
Gamagara | |
|---|---|
Local municipality | |
|
Seal | |
Location in the Northern Cape | |
| Coordinates: 27°40′S 23°00′E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Northern Cape |
| District | John Taolo Gaetsewe |
| Seat | Kathu |
| Wards | 8 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Henriette du Plessis (DA) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,619 km2 (1,011 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 41,617 |
| • Density | 16/km2 (41/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 55.0% |
| • Coloured | 28.7% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.6% |
| • White | 14.0% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Afrikaans | 53.9% |
| • Tswana | 33.7% |
| • English | 3.6% |
| • Sotho | 1.4% |
| • Other | 7.4% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Municipal code | NC453 |
The name Gamogara is of Setswana origin. The municipality is named after a dry river which was in turn named after a man called Mogara of the Makwere clan (Batlhaping). During the early days of exploration, Mogara was the first person to settle in this part of the country. After 1887, the area became dominated by White farmers who then changed the name as they were unable to pronounce it correctly. Hence it was called Gamagara instead of Gamogara. The name is derived from a dry river that ran from Dibeng to join the Kuruman (Segonyana) river at Dikgatlong tsa ga Kganyile. Incidentally, this is the route the Ba ga Motlhware followed on their way to their headquarters, Maje a Mokhothu (Langeberg).