Steve Tshwete Local Municipality is situated at the centre of Nkangala District Municipality and has a population of approximately 278,749 inhabitants. One of the most important features of the municipality is the fact that the intersection between two national transport corridors, the N4 and the N11 is located in the central part of the Municipality at Middelburg town. Middelburg is the primary activity node within the municipal area. The Municipality is home to a number of large industries such as Columbus Steel, Eskom (power generation), the Nkangala District Municipality’s headquarters and various government departments. The municipality prioritizes allocations to repairs and maintenance, as well as the renewal of existing infrastructure as an uncontrolled increase in renewal infrastructure backlogs will negatively impact on the financial sustainability and the reliability and quality of municipal services.