Dihlabeng Local Municipality was established in terms of Section 12 of the Local Government Structures Act 117 of 1998, after the first general local government elections of 5 December 2000, which heralded the final phase of local government reform as envisaged in 1994 at the onset of the process of democratisation. It is a Category B municipality situated within the boundaries of the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality in the eastern Free State. Bethlehem is situated approximately 240km north-east of Bloemfontein, 140km east of Kroonstad and 90km west of Harrismith. The town is strategically situated in the heart of the picturesque north-eastern Free State and originally developed as a service centre. Growth is stimulated by the strategic location of the area, which is situated adjacent to the N5 between Bloemfontein and Durban and serves as a central regional centre. The scenic town of Clarens, often referred to as the “Switzerland” of South Africa, is situated approximately 34k