In South Africa, a metropolitan municipality or Category A municipality is a municipality which executes all the functions of local government for a city or conurbation. This is by contrast to areas which are primarily rural, where the local government is divided into district municipalities and local municipalities. A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ... Sydney, Australia at Night. ... A conurbation is an urban area comprising a number of cities or towns which, through population growth and expansion, have physically merged to form one continuous built up area. ...

The Constitution, section 155.1.a[1], defines "Category A" municipalities. In the Municipal Structures Act[2] it is laid out that this type of local government is to be used for conurbations, "centre[s] of economic activity", areas "for which integrated development planning is desirable", and areas with "strong interdependent social and economic linkages" - in other words, for cities.

The metropolitan municipality is similar to the consolidated city-county in the USA, although a South African metropolitan municipality is created by notice of the provincial government, not by agreement between district and local municipalities. It has been suggested that Metropolitan_government be merged into this article or section. ... A map of the nine provinces of South Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. ...

List of metropolitan municipalities

• Cape Town
• eThekwini (Durban)
• Tshwane (Pretoria)
• Ekurhuleni (East Rand)
• Johannesburg
• Nelson Mandela Metropole (Port Elizabeth)

City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Ethekwini means At the Harbour in the Zulu language. ... Central area of Durban Durban is a city in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa (29°53′S 31°03′E). ... The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan area contained mostly in the province of Gauteng, South Africa, that includes the city of Pretoria. ... City motto: Praestantia Praevaleat Pretoria (May Pretoria Be Pre-eminent In Excellence) Province Gauteng Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... A map of Gauteng, showing the East Rand. ... City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Port Elizabeth (Afrikaans: Port Elizabeth; Xhosa: Ibhayi) is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, at 33°58′S 25°36′E. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. ... Port Elizabeth is a city in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, at 33°58′ S 25°36′ E. The city is located on Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. ...

See also

• South Africa
• South African Municipalities
• Government of South Africa

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Republic of South Africa is a constitutional democracy with a three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating under a Westminster-styled parliamentary system. ...

References

• Government Communication & Information Services (2005) Categories of municipalities
• Parliament of the Republic of South Africa (1996) Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Chapter 7: Local Government
• Parliament of the Republic of South Africa (1998) Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, Act 117 of 1998.
• South African Local Government Association