The Mthonjaneni Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated in the northern region of the King Cetshwayo District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District: | King Cetshwayo |
| Municipal code: | KZN285 |
| Seat: | eMthonjaneni (formerly Melmoth) |
| Number of wards: | 13 |
| Total area: | 1,639 km² (633 square miles) |
| Population: | 99,289 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Mbangiseni Biyela |
About
The Mthonjaneni Local Municipality is geographically located in the northern region of the King Cetshwayo District Municipality, approximately 180km north of Durban.
The municipality was enlarged at the time of the 2016 South African municipal elections when part of the disbanded Ntambanana Local Municipality was merged into it.
Mthonjaneni is an isiZulu name of the spring used by King Shaka Zulu. The maidens used to fetch water from the spring for King Dingane. The municiplaity is named after this spring as it is found in its municipal area.
The Mthonjaneni Local Municipality comprises 13 electoral wards and covers an area of 1,639 km² (633 square miles), making it the third-largest of five local municipalities in the King Cetshwayo District.
The Mthonjaneni Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Nkandla Local Municipality to the west
- uMlalazi Local Municipality to the south
- The City of uMhlathuze and uMfolozi Local Municipalities to the east
- Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality to the northeast
- Ulundi Local Municipality in the Zululand District Municipality to the north
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality is in eMthonjaneni (formerly known as Melmoth), approximately 188 kilometres north of Durban, the provincial economic hub.
Melmoth was founded as a ‘gold rush town’ after the British government annexed Zululand in 1887 and established several magisterial districts.
One of the districts was Mthonjaneni, and the centre of the district was what is known today as eMthonjaneni (previously Melmoth), a town named after Sir Melmoth Osborn, the first British Chief Native Commissioner for Zululand.
At the turn of the century, gold was mined at the Melmoth Gold Fields, five kilometers out of town, but this was a short-term venture. Deserted diggings can still be found in some areas.
The former Melmoth Traditional Local Council area is the only town that was incorporated by the Mthonjaneni Municipality.
In the past, the town performed the function of a dormitory town (and still does to some extent) for those who worked in the neighbouring town of Ulundi.
Mthonjaneni Local Municipality is one of the smallest municipalities in South Africa, but it has the distinction of being regarded as one of the healthiest places to live in the country.
The municipality is close to the Ophathe and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserves.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality has a population of 99,289 people, compared to 78,883 in 2016 and 83,577 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.67%.
According to the 2022 Census, 34.3% of the population is under the age of 15, 60.4% is between 15 and 64, and 5.3% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 98.5% of the population in the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.7% as White, 0.4% as Coloured, and 0.2% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 93.8% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 1.7% speak English, 1.5% speak isiNdebele, and 3% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality are agriculture, finance, manufacturing, and community services.
Municipal council and management
The Mthonjaneni municipal council is comprised of 25 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Thirteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 13 wards, while the remaining 12 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 1 November 2021, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) lost its majority, obtaining a plurality of 12 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – IFP: 12 – ANC: 9 – ACU: 1 – EFF: 1 – NFP: 1 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | Mbangiseni Biyela |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | n/a |
| Chief Whip | n/a |
| Other Council Members | – S.B.K Biyela – I.M Biyela – S.M Khuzwayo – N.S Magwaza – P.S.M Mchunu (Exco Member) – M.V Mchunu – T.H Mchunu – S.S Mnguni – T.E Mpungose – S.K Mthimkhulu – S.M Ndlovu – P.E Ntombela (Exco Member) – D Ntsele – M.E Ntshangase – N.S Ntuli – S.H Shange – N Shobede (Exco member) – B.M.T Sibiya (Exco Member) – Z Zulu |
| Municipal Manager | Ziphozenkosi Mthethwa |
| Chief Financial Officer | n/a |
| Senior Management | – N.B Mathe (Acting Director: Corporate and Community Services) – S.F Mchunu (Director: Technical Services) |
| Communications Officers | Thami Shangase |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality.
- eMthonjaneni (Melmoth)
- Edubeni
- Goedgeloof A
Contact details
The contact details of the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 11, eMthonjaneni (Melmoth), 3835 |
| Physical Address: | 21 Reinhold Street, eMthonjaneni (Melmoth) |
| Telephone: | 035 450 2082 |
| Fax: | 035 550 2056 |
| Email: | – communications@mthonjaneni.org.za – admin@mthonjaneni.org.za |
| Website: | www.mthonjaneni.org.za |
