Noordwyk residents oppose MDB’s proposed Ward 112 delimitation boundary changes draft
“Our councillors may be 'sleeping on the job' if they are not aware of these demarcations. It will affect the wards they represent and may jeopardise their positions if these wards end up under ANC control,” says Noordwyk Residents Association chairperson.
Residents of Noordwyk in Midrand Ward 112 have started a petition opposing the Municipal Demarcation Board’s (MDB) City of Johannesburg Delimitation Wards Draft 2024-2026 for their ward.
Initiated by Noordwyk Residents Association chairperson Bonginkosi Nhlapo, the petition has garnered more than 300 signatures, stating that ‘residents of Ward 112 will be negatively impacted by incorporating residents [voting stations] from Diepsloot [Diepsloot Combined School] and Riverside [Cluny Farm], located 10km away, into their ward’.
Among Diepsloot and Cluny Farm, other proposed voting stations for Ward 112 in the board’s latest draft include Spark Carlswald, Noordwyk Primary School, Noordwyk Secondary School, Midrand Primary School, Communitas Church, and Riversands Primary School.
Also read: Ward 112 residents in Noordwyk picket on corner Lever Road and Vodacom Boulevard
“We have nothing in common with Diepsloot,” said Nhlapo. “This is an attempt to split Ward 112 into two halves and mix it with a township voting station to influence election outcomes in favour of ANC councillors. Ward 112 has never voted for the ANC. It is an open secret that the ANC has lost political power and is now forced into a coalition government. They want to manipulate the elections to regain power through underhanded tactics.”
The MDB has started the ward delimitation process in preparation for the 2026 local government elections (LGE). An education and awareness campaign about the ward delimitation process began in July 2024, allowing the public and stakeholders ample time to understand the process and participate meaningfully by providing informed feedback.
This campaign was followed by technical consultations from November 2024 to March 2025, during which the MDB met with municipal councillors and planning officials to assist in the preparation of the draft ward configurations.
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The MDB then launched nationwide public consultations on the configuration of municipal wards, running from April 7 to June 30. During this period, the board collected public input on how the wards should be organised before finalising the ward delimitation process.
“Our councillors may be ‘sleeping on the job’ if they are not aware of these demarcations,” added Nhlapo. “It will affect the wards they represent and may jeopardise their positions if these wards end up under ANC control… What is at stake is poor service delivery when we cannot choose our councillor because the governing party in the IEC wants to dilute our vote or our will by bringing [in] voters from outside our geographical area to influence the outcome of the elections.”
Read more: Councillor Annette Deppe celebrates year-end achievements in Ward 132 as the year draws to a close
The MDB is required to delimit wards every five years before the LGE, in compliance with the amended Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998 (MSA), and plans to submit the final ward configurations to the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) by the end of the year.
The petition concludes: ‘What we need is the restoration of the 2016 demarcation, where Countryview and the area around Spar Noordwyk and 14th Road are part of Ward 112. If they want to add areas to Ward 112, they can add Randjiesfontein and Glen Austin.’
Click here for the petition link.
Councillors respond to petition; MDB clarifies ward demarcation proposals
Following the growing support for the petition, Democratic Alliance Midrand ward councillors Lerato Mphefo (Ward 112) and Annette Deppe (Ward 132) began receiving numerous inquiries from concerned residents about the petition regarding the proposed ward demarcations.
The councillors released a joint statement in early June, addressing some alleged ‘misconceptions’ in the petition. They explained that the newly proposed boundaries for Ward 112 do not exactly extend across R511, which borders Diepsloot township and the farm plots located on the Midrand side.
“The areas being considered for inclusion are primarily sparsely populated plots [on the Midrand side],” the councillors clarified.
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“The Municipal Demarcation Board made these adjustments to balance voter populations across wards and improve administrative efficiency. Additionally, the suggestion that Ward 112 would extend over the M1 into Ranjiesfontein and Glen Austin is false and not supported by any official announcement from the Demarcation Board. Such misinformation has unnecessarily alarmed residents.”
They further agreed with some parts of the petition, stating that residents of Noordwyk and Ward 112 should know that including distant communities such as Diepsloot and Riverside, which are nearly 10 km away, will create serious challenges for local services. “This will also put more pressure on already limited resources.”
“Moreover, the inclusion of a significantly different voter base may distort the democratic process, undermining the principle that local councillors should reflect the will of their immediate communities.”
In response, MDB spokesperson Barileng Dichabe stated that adjusting areas or voting stations between wards was based on proposals made for draft wards.
“A very small portion of Diepsloot Combined School is proposed to be included in Ward 112, however, this is not the final ward [configuration], as there are still numerous submissions to process. Should there be no changes to the proposal, residents can lodge objections when the objection process opens in July/August 2025,” Dichabe explained.
“The purpose of the public consultations is to present the draft ward boundaries and provide members of the public with an opportunity to express their views. Individuals who are not satisfied with the current proposals are encouraged to submit alternative proposals by June 30.”
The submission form (MDB 3) is available on the MDB website, www.demarcation.org.za. All submissions will be taken into consideration and can be sent to registry@demarcation.org.za.
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