Thulamela Local Municipality
Thulamela Municipality is a local municipality within the Vhembe District Municipality, in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Its municipal boundaries were greatly altered after the 2016 [South African municipal elections|2016 municipal elections] when much of the area that formerly belonged to the municipality, including the town of Malamulele, was incorporated into the newly formed Collins [Chabane Local Municipality]. It is named after the Thulamela ruins located near the Pafuri Gate of the Kruger National Park.
Main places
The South African [National Census of 2011|2011 census] divided the municipality into the following main places:| Place | Code | Population | Area |
| Begwa | 2,066 | 3.32 | |
| Budeli | 2,362 | 9.24 | |
| Buluni | 382 | 1.08 | |
| Damani | 1,336 | 3.83 | |
| Dididi | 2,312 | 2.94 | |
| Dimani | 807 | 1.92 | |
| Dlamini | 146 | 0.50 | |
| Dopeni | 6,560 | 15.15 | |
| Doveni | 318 | 1.28 | |
| Dumasi | 2,154 | 2.60 | |
| Duthuni | 6,345 | 6.70 | |
| Dzindi | 2,787 | 2.03 | |
| Dzingahe | 2,862 | 2.14 | |
| Dzivhadolo | 1,566 | 2.73 | |
| Dzwaboni | 597 | 1.87 | |
| Dzwerani | 5,964 | 14.12 | |
| Fondwe | 1,798 | 4.18 | |
| Gaba | 6,340 | 10.44 | |
| Gonani | 372 | 1.48 | |
| Gondeni A | 5,391 | 4.96 | |
| Gondeni B | 1,471 | 3.10 | |
| Ha-Lambani | 3,450 | 18.68 | |
| Ha-Matsika | 1,120 | 1.68 | |
| Ha-Radali | 2,052 | 2.79 | |
| Hatshisele | 4,382 | 3.20 | |
| Itsani | 11,473 | 6.89 | |
| Khakhanwa | 1,355 | 1.62 | |
| Khakhu | 142 | 0.88 | |
| Khalavha | 3,237 | 5.97 | |
| Khambela | 65 | 0.52 | |
| Khubvi | 10,271 | 11.50 | |
| Kruger National Park | 55 | 2935.88 | |
| Lambani | 1,881 | 3.92 | |
| Lamvi | 1,530 | 9.83 | |
| Lufule | 1,617 | 1.38 | |
| Lukalo | 1,532 | 2.75 | |
| Lutomboni | 529 | 0.75 | |
| Luvhimbi | 2,296 | 8.50 | |
| Lwamondo | 20,218 | 20.72 | |
| Mabokoro | 545 | 0.41 | |
| Madzimu | 5,213 | 3.80 | |
| Mahunguhwi | 394 | 2.54 | |
| Makahlule | 1,865 | 1.73 | |
| Makhumbe | 56 | 1.17 | |
| Makhuvha A | 1,050 | 2.29 | |
| Makhuvha B | 5,394 | 5.05 | |
| Makonde | 6,077 | 12.59 | |
| Makovha | 2,083 | 2.36 | |
| Makumbane | 2,219 | 2.33 | |
| Makwarani | 867 | 5.36 | |
| Malamangwa | 495 | 2.86 | |
| Malamhala | 1,211 | 1.00 | |
| Malavuwe | 2,362 | 2.78 | |
| Manamane | 2,897 | 3.71 | |
| Maname | 204 | 0.93 | |
| Mandala | 3,078 | 3.51 | |
| Manele | 1,658 | 1.60 | |
| Mangondi A | 2,373 | 5.33 | |
| Mangondi B | 1,275 | 1.88 | |
| Manyuwa | 135 | 1.29 | |
| Manzemba | 608 | 1.26 | |
| Mapate | 3,608 | 3.57 | |
| Maranzhe | 1,764 | 3.61 | |
| Maraxwe | 943 | 1.03 | |
| Mashawana | 551 | 1.21 | |
| Masiwane | 1,257 | 1.98 | |
| Matangari | 4,062 | 7.63 | |
| Maungani | 7,271 | 7.487 | |
| Mavhuwa | 55 | 1.12 | |
| Mavunde | 1,573 | 3.84 | |
| Mbahe | 982 | 2.99 | |
| Mbahela | 852 | 0.81 | |
| Mbilwi | 5,077 | 3.73 | |
| Mianzwi | 1,928 | 2.39 | |
| Milaboni | 343 | 0.81 | |
| Mphego | 3,003 | 2.36 | |
| Mubvumoni | 2,086 | 5.15 | |
| Mudunungu | 1,366 | 1.35 | |
| Mudzidzidzi | 400 | 1.08 | |
| Muhotoni | 672 | 0.73 | |
| Muhuyu | 698 | 1.25 | |
| Mukhomi | 3,810 | 3.24 | |
| Mukomasiandu | 764 | 1.28 | |
| Mukondeni | 61 | 1.09 | |
| Mukula | 8,209 | 10.41 | |
| Mukumbani | 2,431 | 3.04 | |
| Mulenzhe | 2,566 | 9.03 | |
| Munangwe | 365 | 0.46 | |
| Muraga | 1,472 | 2.29 | |
| Mushiru | 647 | 1.21 | |
| Mutoti | 904 | 1.85 | |
| Mutshenzheni | 1,062 | 3.61 | |
| Mutshetshe | 673 | 1.05 | |
| Mvelaphanda | 1,563 | 1.11 | |
| Nghomunghom | 1,799 | 1.20 | |
| Ngovhela | 6,296 | 7.82 | |
| Ngudza | 2,855 | 3.74 | |
| Ngwenani | 6,254 | 7.15 | |
| Phiphidi | 9,795 | 9.99 | |
| Phugeni | 1,512 | 1.35 | |
| Sambandou | 826 | 2.03 | |
| Saselamani | 3,727 | 1.84 | |
| Shanzha | 631 | 3.05 | |
| Shayandima | 10,259 | 6.15 | |
| Siambe | 2,565 | 3.29 | |
| Sindande | 70 | 1.38 | |
| Sterkstroom | 39 | 0.05 | |
| Tambaulate | 269 | 0.85 | |
| Thathe Vondo | 94 | 0.65 | |
| Thembaluvhilo | 43 | 0.09 | |
| Thenzheni | 1,845 | 2.62 | |
| Thohoyandou | 69,453 | 42.62 | |
| Thononda | 1,944 | 2.43 | |
| Thulamela NU | 1,399 | 2140.39 | |
| Tshabvuma | 2,168 | 1.93 | |
| Tshamutavha | 184 | 0.81 | |
| Tshamutilikwa | 814 | 1.06 | |
| Tshaulu | 2,077 | 2.49 | |
| Tshiavha | 126 | 0.09 | |
| Tshidimbini | 2,501 | 2.47 | |
| Tshidzate | 781 | 0.81 | |
| Tshidzini | 3,852 | 7.22 | |
| Tshidzivhe | 845 | 2.19 | |
| Tshififi | 2,468 | 4.15 | |
| Tshifudi | 2,343 | 3.47 | |
| Tshihalwe | 568 | 0.78 | |
| Tshiheni | 1,435 | 4.97 | |
| Tshiiwani | 227 | 1.10 | |
| Tshikambe | 471 | 1.16 | |
| Tshikhudini | 1,464 | 1.29 | |
| Tshikombani | 4,084 | 4.29 | |
| Tshikonelo | 4,809 | 7.20 | |
| Tshikovha | 2,074 | 1.75 | |
| Tshikunda | 2,177 | 2.93 | |
| Tshikweta | 814 | 0.54 | |
| Tshilapfene | 1,495 | 2.01 | |
| Tshilungoma | 2,526 | 3.13 | |
| Tshilungwi | 663 | 1.40 | |
| Tshiombo | 1,415 | 1.58 | |
| Tshipako | 800 | 2.17 | |
| Tshirenzheni | 1,248 | 2.08 | |
| Tshisahulu | 7,342 | 5.97 | |
| Tshisinise | 81 | 0.17 | |
| Tshitanini | 227 | 1.02 | |
| Tshitavha | 2,123 | 3.51 | |
| Tshitereke | 5,788 | 7.40 | |
| Tshithuthuni | 2,031 | 2.84 | |
| Tshivhilidulu | 1,339 | 2.35 | |
| Tshivhilwi | 4,334 | 5.00 | |
| Tshivhulani | 2,675 | 2.13 | |
| Tswera | 1,001 | 2.23 | |
| Tswinga | 3,948 | 6.41 | |
| Vhudimbilu | 658 | 1.64 | |
| Vhufuli | 3,626 | 4.23 | |
| Vhurivhuri | 2,215 | 7.49 | |
| Vhutalu | 430 | 0.93 | |
| Vondo | 766 | 1.98 | |
| Vondwe | 6,521 | 5.95 | |
| Xaswita | 680 | 0.84 |
Politics
The municipal council consists of eighty-one members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Forty-one councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in forty-one wards, while the remaining forty are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress won a majority of 71 seats on the council.The following table shows the results of the election.