Gert Sibande (until 2004 known as the Eastvaal District Municipality) is one of the 3 districts of Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The seat of Gert Sibande is Ermelo. The majority of its 900 007 people speak IsiZulu (2001 Census). The district code is DC30. On 15 October 2004, the municipality changed its name from the "Eastvaal" (Afrikaans: Oosvaal) to "Gert Sibande" District Municipality.
The Gert Sibande district is an economic hub for mining, agriculture and tourism. It is also a home for huge industries such as Sasol, Eskom, Mondi and other gold and coal mines. The centrality of the District Municipality offices ensures easy access by stakeholders and rural communities.
What is the origin of the District Municipality’s name – Gert Sibande? The Council was renamed in February 2003 from Eastvaal District Council to “Gert Sibande” in honour of Richard Gert Sibande, who was known in the ANC as “The Lion of the East” for his political and trade union work in the Eastern Transvaal.
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Country: South Africa |
Racial makeup (2011) |
First languages (2011) |
