The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated in the southern region of the Ugu District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B2 (large town) |
| Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District: | Ugu |
| Municipal code: | KZN216 |
| Seat: | Port Shepstone |
| Number of wards: | 36 |
| Total area: | 1,487 km² (574 square miles) |
| Population: | 362,134 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Zodwa P Mzindle |
About
The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality established after the August 2016 local elections by merging the Ezinqoleni and Hibiscus Coast local municipalities.
The municipality is named in honour of the late African National Congress South Coast stalwart and human rights activist, Ray Nkoyeni.
The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality covers an area of approximately 90 kilometres of coastline comprising 20 beaches, and extends 30 kilometres inland, covering a vast, rural area under the leadership of six tribal authorities.
The coastline is dotted with numerous small towns, many of which serve as seasonal recreational hubs in areas such as Port Shepstone, Hibberdene, Umtamvuna/Port Edward, Margate, and Impenjati/Southbroom.
The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality is geographically located in the southern region of the Ugu District Municipality, on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal Province.
The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality comprises 36 wards and covers an area of 1,487 km² (574 square miles) making it the largest of four local municipalities in the Ugu District, as it accounts for a third of its geographical area.
The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Umzumbe Local Municipality to the north
- uMuziwabantu Local Municipality to the northwest and west
- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality in the Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province to the west and south
- The Indian Ocean to the east and covers approximately 72 kilometres of the coastal belt.
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality is in Port Shepstone, the most concentrated economic hub within the Ugu District.
Port Shepstone and Margate are two main centres with public infrastructure, beautiful coastline with blue flag beaches and tourism, the former mainly playing administrative role while the latter is more of tourism attraction point with most tourism products developed in and around this town.
The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality boasts of breath taking gorges and valleys, beautiful country slopes covered in rich soils. It is a marvel to watch the meandering many lazy rivers within the municipality as they slowly flow towards the mighty Indian Ocean.
Up the valleys are natural ponds and dams that are homes to many different fish species and are huge tourist attractions.
The municipality’s environmental sensitive protected areas is home to a number of endangered species and indigenous forests, hence they are highly protected. There are many small towns doted along the coastal belt, while the hinterland has nine traditional authoritative lands.
This municipality is a strong tourist attraction destination, boasting of well-developed products. Added to that, is the climate which is humid and subtropical all year-round, thus a leading tourist destination in KwaZulu-Natal.
The municipality is home to the Port Shepstone Maritime and Cultural Museum, which was opened under the patronage of Ray Nkonyeni Municipality and boasts a range of artifacts and cultural items.
Population
The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality consists of a diverse population and according to the South African National Census of 2022, the municipality has a population of 362,134 people, compared to 348,533 in 2016, and 308,675 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.55%.
According to the 2022 Census, 27% of the population is under the age of 15, 64.2% is between 15 and 64, and 8.8% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 83% of the population in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 9.9% as White African, 5.6% as Indian/Asian, and 1.3% as Coloured.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality are agriculture, business services, manufacturing, finance, general government services, forestry, communication, transport, wholesale, and retail.
Shopping Centres
The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality offers several malls and shopping centers, such as;
- Hibberdene Village mall
- Hibiscus Mall
- Oribi Plaza
- Port Shepstone Mall
- Ramsgate Lifestyle Village
- Sebenza Village
- Shelly Centre
- South Coast Mall
Municipal council and management
The Ray Nkonyeni municipal council is comprised of 71 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Thirty-six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 36 wards, while the remaining 35 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 African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of 36 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 36 – DA: 14 – IFP: 8 – EFF: 7 – ACDP: 1 – AIC: 1 – ATM: 1 – JEP: 1 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Zodwa P Mzindle |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Sbusiso Godfrey Shange |
| Speaker | Phumlani Gumbi |
| Chief Whip | Teddy Thinta Hlophe |
| Other Council Members | – Leon Gabarde – Thuleleni Khanyase – Mosley Lubanyana – Noxolo Mqadi – Zamane Ndwalane – Lindiwe Ntanza – Douglas Rawlins – Pinky Shange (Chairperson: MPAC) |
| Municipal Manager | Khethukuthula Joseph Zulu |
| Chief Financial Officer | Vuyani Gqoboka |
| Senior Management | – Sthabile Gambushe (Manager: Internal Audit) – Philani Khambule (Manager: LED) – Rodger Lubanyana (HOD: Corporate Services) – Zanele Ndabezitha (Senior Manager: Strategic and Planning) – Mthandeni Ndwalane (HOD: Community Services and Public Safety) – Mduduzi Qwabe (HOD: Technical Services) – Dalisu Zulu (HOD: Development Planning Services) |
| Communications Officers | Simon April (Senior Manager: Mayoralty and Communications) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality.
- Anerley
- Gamalakhe
- Hibberdene
- Izingolweni
- Mahlabathini
- Marburg
- Margate
- Munster
- Palm Beach
- Port Edward
- Port Shepstone
- Ramsgate
- Shelly Beach
- Southbroom
- Trafalgar
- Umtentweni
- Umzumbe
- Uvongo
Public Libraries
Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality has 13 public libraries that offer free public library services in the municipal area.
- Albersville Library
- Gamalakhe Library
- Hibberdene library
- Izingolweni Library
- Marburg Library
- Margate Library
- Merlewood Library
- Port Edward Library
- Port Shepstone Library
- Sazi Nelson Library
- Southport Library
- Umtentweni library
- Uvongo Library
Beaches
The Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality has twenty world-class quality bathing beaches along the entire seaboard, with 11 of them being main beaches. It is also significant to mention that six of the municipality’s beaches have Blue Flag Status.
Also, all 20 beaches in the municipal area are recognized bathing beaches which are protected by anti-shark measures and lifeguards.
| Beach | Main Beach – Protected by Lifeguards from Monday to Sunday | Protected only on Weekends and Public Holidays | Blue Flag Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hebberdene Beach | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Lucien/Manaba Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Margate Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Marina Beach | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Michaels Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Port Edward Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Ramsgate Beach | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| South Port Beach | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Trafalgar Beach | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Umzumbe Beach | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
| Uvongo Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Banana Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Glenmore Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Kids Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Mkobi Beach | ✔️ | ||
| O Strand Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Ski Boat Ramsgate Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Southroom Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Sunwich Port Beach | ✔️ | ||
| Umtwentweni Beach | ✔️ |
Contact details
The contact details of the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 5, Port Shepstone, 4240 |
| Physical Address: | 10 Connor Street, Port Shepstone, 4240, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Telephone: | 039 688 2000 |
| Fax: | 039 682 2000 |
| Email: | – services@rnm.gov.za – info@rnm.gov.za |
| Website: | www.rnm.gov.za |
