COAT OF ARMS

CROWN WITH CASTLES

The council adopted the coat of arms featured above in 2001, having been developed during the days of the erstwhile Kei District Council. The constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides for the of three spheres of Government, which are the distinctive, interrelated and interdependent. The spheres of Government provided for in the constitution are the National Government, the Provincial Government and the Local Government. The crown represents the cooperative nature of the relationship with the three spheres.


GREEN DIAMONDS SIDE BY SIDE

The O. R. Tambo District Municipality is situated in one of the most beautiful areas in South Africa. The beautiful wild coast and the resorts scattered along the coastline, the major part of which is situated within this District Municipality, is rated as the best by far in the Southern Africa region. The opportunities for agricultural development are enormous, although untapped. The green diamonds in the logo, then, represent the green fields with natural vegetation, agriculture as well as the beautiful wild coast, including the green grass embedded in the mountains of our region.

THE SUN RISING BEHIND THE GREEN MOUNTAINS

South Africa has been ravaged by the abominable, corrupt twin systems of colonialism and apartheid for more than three hundred years. The lives lost in the struggles waged by our people to extricate themselves from the yoke of apartheid and colonialism have nurtured the tree of revolution. The sun rising behind the green mountains represents people who have finally conquered the system of apartheid rule and who must now focus their energies on the new challenges facing them, poverty, HIV/AIDS, crime, corruption and many more.


ALOE

The aloe represents the indigenous African people of the district, who were primary victims of the systems colonialism and apartheid. The greenness of the aloe represents the desire to uplift them to be able to meet the economic challenges facing them, which are a direct result of their history.


VULTURES

South Africa is a constitutional democracy. The attainment of political freedom was a significant milestone in the history of the country. This beautiful country, and indeed our district, is facing new hurdles in the form of rampant crime, poverty, HIV/AIDS. The vulture represents the strategies and tactics at our disposal to remove these hurdles.