The uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated in the northeastern region of the uMkhanyakude 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: | uMkhanyakude |
| Municipal code: | KZN271 |
| Seat: | Kwangwanase |
| Number of wards: | 20 |
| Total area: | 4,977 km² (1,922 square miles) |
| Population: | 191,660 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | T.S Khumalo |
About
The uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality is geographically located in the northeastern region of the uMkhanyakude District Municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal province.
The uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality covers an area of 4,977 km² (1,922 square miles), making it the largest of four local municipalities in the uMkhanyakude District, as it accounts for a third of its geographical area.
The municipality comprises 20 electoral wards and four traditional council areas (Mabasa, Tembe, Zikhali, and Mashabane) and is generally rural with informal settlements at Manguzi and Mbazwana
The uMhlabuyalingana Municipality is influenced by the influx of people who migrate from Mozambique and Eswatini.
In terms of land tenure, approximately 60 % of the municipal area falls under traditional authority ownership (Ingonyama Trust ownership) with four tribal councils who are the custodians of the land, with the remaining 40% consisting of conservation areas and commercial farms.
The uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Jozini Local Municipality to the west
- Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality to the south
- The Indian Ocean to the east
- The Republic of Mozambique to the north
The administrative headquarters/municipal offices of the uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality are in Kwangwanase.
uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality is one of the poorest municipalitis in South Africa. It encompasses a World Heritage Site and several areas under environmental protection.
Areas of conservation and environmental interest within or adjacent to uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality area include the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (a World Heritage Site), Tembe Elephant Park, Phongolo Nature Reserve, and the Suni-Ridge Sand Forest Park.
The uMhlabuyalingana Municipality is one of the rural local municipalities with a high development potential through its competitive advantages with a unique and diverse tourism destination known for its unspoilt cultural and natural attractions as well as world famous conservation areas that straddle international boundaries, thereby contributing to the socio-economic empowerment of local communities in rural areas and the economic prosperity of the municipality.
The major structuring elements of uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality are the Pongola River along the western boundary and the road from Sikhamelele to Manguzi (east-west linkage).
Population
Almost the entire population of the municipality lives in traditional authority areas and according to the South African National Census of 2022, uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality has a population of 191,660 people, compared to 172,077 in 2016, and 156,772 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.95%.
According to the 2022 Census, 32.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 62.4% is between 15 and 64, and 5.2% is over 65.
Extraordinarily, 77% of uMhlabuyalingana’s population is younger than 35 years old. Because of its youth, the population is particularly vulnerable to the impact of HIV/AIDS.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 99.3% of the population in the uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.3% as White, 0.1% as Coloured, and 0.1% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 95.7% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 1.2% speak English, 1% speak isiNdebele, and 2.1% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality are mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and services.
Municipal council and management
The uMhlabuyalingana municipal council is comprised of 39 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twenty councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 20 wards, while the remaining 19 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) lost its majority, winning a plurality of 18 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 18 – IFP: 15 – EFF: 2 – ABMM: 1 – ACDP: 1 – DA: 1 – NFP: 1 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | T.S Khumalo |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | E.Z Mthsali |
| Speaker | M.D Mathenjwa |
| Chief Whip | Z.V Mthembu |
| Other Council Members | n/a |
| Municipal Manager | Nkosinathi Myeni |
| Chief Financial Officer | N.P Mkhabela |
| Senior Management | n/a |
| Communications Officers | – Thulani Gumede – Lindokuhle Motha – Senzo Zwane |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality.
- Emanguzi
- Kwangwanase
- Maputa
- Mbazwana
- Mboza
- Mseleni
- Skhemelele
Contact details
The contact details of the uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X901, KwaNgwanase, 3973 |
| Physical Address: | Main Road R22, KwaNgwanase |
| Telephone: | – 035 592 0680 – 035 592 9628 |
| Fax: | 035 592 0672 |
| Email: | info@mhlabuyalingana.gov.za |
| Website: | www.umhlabuyalingana.gov.za |
Missing funds
On 8 April 2009, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which controlled the municipality, summoned its entire caucus to a meeting aimed at determining the veracity of reports alleging more than R3,000,000 (US$403,390) in funds unaccounted for.
Professor Themba Msimang, chairman of the party’s Policy Oversight Committee (POC), and also current chair of South Africa’s Heraldry Council, called for uMhlabuyalingana to accept a forensic audit.
According to an IFP press release, Msimang stated that the party was “highly agitated” by the reports, “not simply because of the implication of corruption but also because it transgressed everything the party stands for… We will have to await the process that entails the municipality’s council calling for such a forensic audit. I can assure you, though, our party will get to the bottom of this, and, if heads have to roll, so be it: they will.”
