a process was established for local authorities to negotiate voluntary mergers. Such mergers took place in two towns in the Theewaterskloof region: in August 1993 the Municipality of Riviersonderend merged with the Riviersonderend Management Committee to form the Municipality for the Area of Riviersonderend, and in January 1994 the Municipality of Caledon merged with the Bergsig Management Committee to form the Municipality for the Area of Caledon. After the national elections of 1994 the process of negotiation became mandatory, and included political parties and local community organisations as well as the existing local authorities. Transitional local councils (TLCs) were established in each town or village as a result of this process. In October 1994: the Municipality of Grabouw and the Pineview Management Committee were replaced by the Grabouw TLC. the Villiersdorp Municipality and the Villiersdorp Management Committee were replaced by the Villiersdorp TLC. In November 1994 the Botrivier Local Council was replaced by the Botrivier TLC. In December 1994 the Municipality for the Area of Riviersonderend was replaced by the Riviersonderend TLC. In January 1995: the Municipality for the Area of Caledon was replaced by the Caledon TLC. the Municipality of Greyton and the Heuwelkruin Management Committee were replaced by the Greyton TLC. the Genadendal Management Board was replaced by the Genadendal TLC. In February 1995 the Myddleton Management Committee was replaced by the Myddleton TLC. These transitional councils were initially made up of members nominated during the negotiations, some of whom had been councillors of the previous local authorities, while others represented political parties and community organisations. In May 1996 elections were held to replace the nominated councils with elected councils. At these elections the Overberg District Council was established, replacing the Overberg Regional Services Council. Transitional representative councils (TRCs) were also elected to represent rural areas outside the TLCs on the District Council; the area that was to become Theewaterskloof included parts of the Nuweberg, Caledon and Swellendam TRCs. At the local elections of December 2000 the TLCs and TRCs were dissolved, and the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality was created as a single local authority incorporating both rural and urban areas. Politics The municipal council consists of twenty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fourteen wards, while the remaining thirteen are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.