The Nkandla Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated in the western 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: | B4 (mostly rural) |
| Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District: | King Cetshwayo |
| Municipal code: | KZN286 |
| Seat: | Nkandla |
| Number of wards: | 14 |
| Total area: | 1,828 km² (706 square miles) |
| Population: | 108,896 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | n/a |
About
The Nkandla Local Municipality is geographically located in the western region of the King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
The Nkandla Municipality is situated in a remote area of breathtaking mountainous beauty, and consists mainly of tribal lands and state-owned land. The area has a wealth of undisturbed forests that boast mostly indigenous species.
The municipality is located approximately 50 kilometres away from the Isandlwana battlefield and 158 kilometres from the City of uMhlathuze Local Municipality, the district’s economic hub.
Nkandla is the ‘cradle’ of Zulu history. From Malandela to Shaka Zulu, to Dingane and Cetshwayo, Nkandla has been at the centre stage of the Zulu nation’s history. Most of the Zulu heroes’ graves are found at Nkandla, for example, King Malandela, Cetshwayo, Bhambatha, and Inkosi Sigananda.
Nkandla Local Municipality prides itself on with rich and opulent history. The richness of its history starts from its name “Nkandla” which got its origin in the Zulu word (khandla) meaning ‘extreme exhaustion’.
The man behind the popular name ‘Nkandla’ is none other than the founder himself of the Zulu Nation, King Shaka. Thus, telling any success stories of the Zulu Nation without mentioning the name Nkandla is entirely incomplete. It is worth mentioning that, the area was named by King Shaka himself after having gone through the hills, valleys and mountains with his warriors and getting tired.
Nkandla was a hiding place of the Zulus a long time ago during the times of war, for example. the Bhambatha Rebellion and the Ndwandwe-Zulu War from Entumeni. The warriors used the Nkandla Forest as their last resort for protection from their enemies. It was very difficult to fight the warriors who were hiding in the thick and dark forest.
The Nkandla Local Municipality comprises 14 electoral wards covers an area of 1,828 km² (706 square miles), making it the second-largest of five local municipalities in the King Cetshwayo District.
The Nkandla Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Ulundi Local Municipality in the Zululand District Municipality to the north
- Mthonjaneni Local Municipality to the east
- uMlalazi Local Municipality to the east and south
- Maphumulo Local Municipality in the iLembe District Municipality to the south
- Umvoti Local Municipality in the uMzinyathi District Municipality to the south and west
- uMsinga Local Municipality in the uMzinyathi District Municipality to the west
- Nquthu Local Municipality in the uMzinyathi District Municipality to the west and north
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Nkandla Local Municipality is in the town of Nkandla, which is also the hometown of the former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma.
Nkandla town is positioned close to South Africa’s two largest ports, lying about 138 kilometres inland from Richards Bay and 222 kilometres north of Durban.
Nkandla Town is classified as a Rural Service Centre (RSC) and a Provincial Rural Administrative Centre (PRAC). It is also the only formalized urban area located within Nkandla Local Municipality, situated approximately 50 kilometres southwest of eMthonjaneni (formerly Melmoth) and 74 kilometres from Eshowe.
Nkandla Town is isolated from the major economic development corridors – access is via a main tar road from eMthonjaneni, and a tar road from Eshowe, Nquthu, and Kranskop.
Nkandla Town offers the full array of urban development, albeit at a smaller scale compared to the majority of towns in KwaZulu-Natal.
Nkandla Local Municipality is home to Ntingwe Tea Estate which produces the famous high-quality Ntingwe Tea which is traded all over the world. The tea is affectionately called Zulu tea abroad.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Nkandla Local Municipality has a population of 108,896 people, compared to 114,284 in 2016 and 114,416 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of -0.48%.
Nkandla Local Municipality indicates a population decline and this can be attributed to the lack of job opportunities, migration of people to other parts of the country to look for employment opportunities, attrition due to various reasons, the inability of the municipality to provide a range of elite services and amenities to the affording communities.
According to the 2022 Census, 35.5% of the population is under the age of 15, 57.6% is between 15 and 64, and 7% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 96.6% of the population in the Nkandla Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.1% as White, 0.1% as Indian/Asian, and 0.1% as Coloured.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 95.7% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 1.3% speak isiNdebele, 1.3% speak English, and 1.7% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Nkandla Local Municipality are agriculture and retail.
Municipal council and management
The Nkandla municipal council is comprised of 27 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 14 wards, while the remaining 13 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) won a majority of 16 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – IFP: 16 – ANC: 10 – EFF: 1 |
| Controlling party | IFP |
| Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Nonhlanhla Nzuza (Member of EXCO, and Chairperson of Community Services Portfolio Committee) |
| Speaker | Sondelaphi Sibiya (Speaker of Council, and Member of EXCO) |
| Chief Whip | n/a |
| Other Council Members | – S.M Bhengu (Member of EXCO and Finance Portfolio Committee) – T.B Ntombela (Member of EXCO and Chairperson of Technical Services Portfolio Committee) – N.A Ntombela (Member of EXCO) |
| Municipal Manager | N.P Dlamini |
| Chief Financial Officer | M.E.O Mkhize |
| Senior Management | – M.N Mnyandu (Director: Technical Services) – D.K Nkabinde (Director: Corporate Services) – A.S Shandu (Director: Community Services) |
| Communications Officers | B.A Zuma (Manager: Communications) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Nkandla Local Municipality.
- Nkandla
Contact details
The contact details of the Nkandla Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X161, Nkandla, 3855 |
| Physical Address: | Lot 292, Maree Road, Nkandla |
| Telephone: | 035 833 2000 |
| Fax: | 035 833 0920 |
| Email: | info@nkandla.gov.za |
| Website: | www.nkandla.gov.za |
Tourism
Nkandla Local Municipality offers exquisite natural beauty i.e. Beautiful Mountains, hills, and indigenous forests with birding routes. Nkandla is home to history, monuments, traditional crafts, customs, religion, and high-quality world-class tea. Nkandla today is known all over the world as the place where the former president Jacob Zuma was born.
The Nkandla Municipality has so much to offer the guests in terms of cultural, historical, and natural activities for example exciting adventures (Mome Gorge), meet Nkandla crafters, and visiting local shebeens.
Nkandla also has a huge history and cultural heritage with a cultural legacy that dates to the great Zulu King Shaka and beyond.
Below are some of the most famous tourism sites in Nkandla.
- IInkosi Cetshwayo
- Mome Gorge
- Khombe Mission: Site of Battle
- Ntingwe Tea Estate (produces Zulu Tea in Nkandla)
- Former President Jacob Zuma`s house in Nxamalala
- Nkandla Forest
- Qhudeni And Nkonisa Forest
- Chair of Amakhosi (Isigqiki Samakhosi)
- KwaShushu Hot Springs
- Bushmen/Khoisan: Abathwa
- The Karkloof blue butterfly (the unique and special butterfly in South Africa)
- Amanzi phambana found inside Nkandla Forest
- Ofeni and Intaba Nomanci inside Nkandla Forest (where local people used to sharpen spears, spear making,)
