District municipalities administer and make rules for a district, which includes more than one local municipality. The purpose of district municipalities and local municipalities sharing the responsibility for local government in their areas is to ensure that all communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, have equal access to resources and services. This will help some local municipalities who don't have the capacity (finances, facilities, staff or knowledge) to provide services to their communities. It will also help to cut the costs of running a municipality by sharing resources with others. In other words, the 'richer' areas will help the 'poorer' areas.

 

               

Some of the specific functions and powers of district municipalities include:

 •  to plan for development for the district municipality as a whole
 •  municipal health services for the whole district municipality area
 •  bulk supply of water
 •  fire-fighting services for the whole district municipality area
 •  bulk supply of electricity
 •  control of fresh produce markets
 •  bulk sewerage purification and main sewerage disposal
 •  control of cemeteries
 •  waste disposal sites for the whole district municipality area
 •  promoting local tourism for the whole district municipality area
 •  municipal roads for the whole district municipality area
 •  municipal public works.
 •  regulating passenger transport services

As its name implies, the whole West Coast region borders on the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of South Africa. The eastern border is formed by a stunning belt of sandstone mountains - the Cederberg, Gifberg, Matzikamma, Maskam, Koebee and Bokkeveld mountains. To the south is the Swartland, well known for its undulating wheatfields, vineyards, protea farms, fruit plantations, indigenous veld flowers and pastures which offer the traveller a kaleidoscope of different landscapes. Even further to the south is the Cape Metropole. To the north is the Matzikama and Hardeveld, an extensive and sparsely populated area dominated by the Sandveld. The Sandveld area is valued for its beautiful wild flowers and spectacular fynbos. The region covers a total area of 31 099 km2. Statistics South Africa (2001) estimated the population of the entire West Coast region at 282 671.