The mining industry represents the largest employment sector in the municipality.

In 2007, 34% of households had access to piped water inside their homes, an improvement of 14 percentage points since 2001.

[3] The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[4] The municipal council consists of thirty-one members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.

Sixteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in sixteen wards, while the remaining fifteen 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 18 May 2011 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of twenty-three seats on the council.