The uMzimkhulu Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the southern region of the Harry Gwala 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: | Harry Gwala |
| Municipal code: | KZN435 |
| Seat: | uMzimkhulu |
| Number of wards: | 22 |
| Total area: | 2,436 km² (941 square miles) |
| Population: | 220,620 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Jabulile Msiya |
About
The uMzimkhulu Local Municipality is geographically located in the southern region of the Harry Gwala District Municipality.
The name Umzimkhulu is an isiXhosa and isiZulu word meaning “big/great house”. Before the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of South Africa in 2005, confirmed by the Thirteenth in 2007, it was part of the Eastern Cape.
The uMzimkhulu Local Municipality covers an area of 2,436 km² (941 square miles), making it the second-smallest of four local municipalities in the Harry Gwala District, as it accounts for a quarter of its geographical area.
The uMzimkhulu Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Local Municipality to the north
- Greater Kokstad Local Municipality to the west
- Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality to the east
- uMuziwabantu Local Municipality in the Ugu District Municipality to the south
- Umzumbe Local Municipality in the Ugu District Municipality to the southeast
The uMzimkhulu Local Municipality comprises 22 wards, and traditional areas make up 46% of the municipal area.
The uMzimkhulu town (and adjoining Clydesdale peri-urban area) is the primary node, both administrative and economic, in the municipality. Rietvlei, Ibisi, and Riversdale are regarded as secondary nodes, fulfilling the role of rural service centres.
Other settlements such as Mountain Home, Ntsikeni, Glengarry, and Ncambele (Gowan Lea) can be regarded as minor service centres. The towns of Franklin and Creighton are accessible to the northwestern part of the municipality and Harding is accessible to the southern part, as economic service centres.
The nodal areas include UMzimkhulu Town, Riverside, Ibisi and Rietvlei. The municipality is also characterised by the presence of Traditional Authorities that cover the rural areas.
uMzimkhulu is the most populated municipality in the Harry Gwala District, accounting for about 38.6% of the district’s population, with about 90.8% of this population residing in rural areas, while the remaining 9.2% resides in urban areas.
Most households in the uMzimkhulu Municipality are headed by women.
The uMzimkhulu Local Municipality is home to several places of cultural, environmental, and heritage significance such as the Ntsikeni Nature Reserve which is dominated by grasslands, wetlands, and indigenous forests that form important breeding sites for bird species, thus creating a unique birding route within the district, Fodo Cultural Village, as well as several heritage sites and artefacts such as the Lourdes and Emmaus Missions and Khoi-San rock art.
The municipality faces severe backlogs with respect to electricity, sanitation, and water provision. In addition, road infrastructure remains poor and provides only limited access to the area.
There is a need to implement youth development programmes and, for the most part, to target women in stimulating nodal economic growth.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the uMzimkhulu Local Municipality has a population of 220,620 people, compared to 197,286 in 2016 and 180,302 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.96%.
According to the 2022 Census, 36.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 57.3% is between 15 and 64, and 6.3% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 99.3% of the population in the uMzimkhulu Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.3% as Coloured, 0.1% as Indian/Asian, and 0.1% as White.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 47.3% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 46.3% speak isiXhosa, 1.6% speak English, and 4.8% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the uMzimkhulu Local Municipality are tourism, agriculture, trade, forestry, community, social and personal services.
Municipal council and management
The uMzimkhulu municipal council is comprised of 43 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Twenty-two councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 22 wards, while the remaining 21 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 33 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 33 – EFF: 6 – AIC: 1 – DA: 1 – IFP: 1 – INDEPENDENT: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Jabulile Msiya |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Bhekamahlongwa Lukakayi (Chairperson: Corporate Services Standing Committee) |
| Speaker | Gugulethu Mavuma |
| Chief Whip | Xolani Tshazi |
| Other Council Members | – Mhlangabezi Didi (Chairperson: Strategic Planning, LED and Housing Standing Committee) – Mpumelelo E Dubazabe (Exco Member ) – Nkosiphendulo Jaca (Community and Social Services Standing Committee) – Khanyisile Mafuleka (Infrastructure and Engineering Standing Committee) – Mluleki Mamela (Exco Member) – Jabulile Msiya (Chairperson: Budget and Treasury Office) – Mthokozisi Ngcongo (MPAC Chairperson) – Sindisiwe Nkala (Chairperson: Good Governance Standing Committee) |
| Municipal Manager | Andile Christopher Ngqoyiya |
| Chief Financial Officer | Thembakazi Ngcemu |
| Senior Management | – Nosisa Luzulane (Manager: Community and Social Service Department) – Mpumelelo Majola (Director: Planning, Housing and LED) – Zama Mkhize (LED Manager) – Siyabonga Brian Mkhwanazi (Director: Infrastructure and Engineering) – Khalipha Nyamela (Director: Corporate Services Department) |
| Communications Officers | Willie Mgcina |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the uMzimkhulu Local Municipality.
- Bisi
- Clydesdale
- Rietvlei
- Rondedraai
- uMzimkhulu
Contact details
The contact details of the uMzimkhulu Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 53, uMzimkhulu, 3297 |
| Physical Address: | 169 Mzimkhulu Mlonyana, uMzimkhulu |
| Telephone: | – 039 259 5000 – 039 259 5300 |
| Fax: | 039 259 0427 |
| Email: | info@umzimkhululm.gov.za |
| Website: | www.umzimkhululm.gov.za |
| Police: | – 039 259 4600 – 10111 |
| Customer Care: | 039 259 5053 |
| Fire: | – 076 808 7882 – 10111 |
| Hospital: | 039 260 5000 |
| Presidential Hotline: | 17737 |
