The Umzumbe Local Municipality is a Category B municipality within the Ugu District Municipality in the southern region of the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B4 (mostly rural) |
| Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District: | Ugu |
| Municipal code: | KZN213 |
| Seat: | Umthwalume |
| Number of wards: | 20 |
| Total area: | 1,221 km² (471 square miles) |
| Population: | 139,045 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Mlungisi Ndlovu |
About
The Umzumbe Local Municipality is geographically located in the south coast region of the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
The Municipal boundary runs along the Indian Ocean coast for a short strip between Umthwalume and Hibberdene and then balloons out into the hinterland for approximately 60 kilometres.
The municipality is named after the Umzumbe River, which runs through the municipal area.
The Umzumbe Local Municipality covers an area of 1,221 km² (471 square miles), making it the second-largest of four local municipalities in the Ugu District, as it accounts for a quarter of its geographical area.
The municipality comprises 20 electoral wards, most of which cover a vast, largely rural area with approximately 1% being built up / semi-urban area.
The municipality has no established towns, but rather incorporates 17 Traditional Council areas, namely, the Mpethuzendlovu (Xaba), Bhekani, Dungeni, Dungeni/emaDungeni, Bombo, Hlongwa, Cele P and Cele K, Mabheleni, Hlubi, Ndelu, Qwabe N, Nyavini, Nhlangwini, Qoloqolo, Qwabe P, Shiyabanye, and Thulini Traditional Authorities.
The Umzumbe Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality to the south
- uMuziwabantu Local Municipality to the west
- uMzimkhulu Local Municipality in the Harry Gwala District Municipality to the northwest
- Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality in the Harry Gwala District Municipality to the north
- Umdoni Local Municipality to the north and east
- The Indian Ocean to the east
The administrative headquarters/seat of the Umzumbe Local Municipality is in Umthwalume.
Umzumbe Local Municipality boasts numerous development opportunities available to people of Umzumbe and outside investors.
The municipality is located along the coastal strip of the Indian Ocean between Umthwalume and Mfazazana. This area is a window of opportunity to the local community of Umzumbe and potential interested investors. The seashore offers a wealth of opportunities for people interested in, among others, fishing, leisure, and water sports.
Umzumbe Local Municipality is a hive of activities, which include tourism, heritage, and agricultural produce.
The dramatic eye-pleasing scenery of Umzumbe Local Municipality includes picturesque mountains, winding rivers cutting across these mountains, and well-cultivated forestry offering sound eco-tourism.
The Umzumbe Municipality has placed tourism on top of the agenda. There are currently two tourism sites that are open to the public, namely, Isivivane sikaShaka Tourism Site and Ntelezi Msani Heritage Centre.
Ntelezi Msani Heritage Centre was identified by the municipality as the tourism flagship project that seeks to highlight and commemorate the role, participation, and effect of the Bhambatha Rebellion of 1906 in the Greater Ugu and Umthwalume area.
Ntelezi Msani Memorial Project honors the unsung heroes of the 1906 Poll Tax uprising that was led by Ntelezi Khulekani Msani.
Isivivane sikaShaka is a heap of stones that traces the journey of the last expedition by King Shaka Zulu in May 1828. Isivivane Sika-Shaka is one of the sites that are traced as the Zulu warriors’ camping site during the expedition of King Shaka Zulu to bring back the Zulus who escaped during his leadership.
King Shaka and warriors laid a heap of stones before camping. This was to prove the route for other generations. Both these sites will go a long way in unlocking the tourism potential and further transformation of the heritage sector in the District.
Income levels in the municipality are very low and reflect a situation of severe impoverishment. Almost 60% of all households have an income of less than R500 per month. In order to survive, households rely on pension and other welfare grants, informal earnings, migrant remittances, and casual employment wages.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Umzumbe Local Municipality has a population of 139,045 people, compared to 151,676 in 2016 and 153,407 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of -0.95%.
According to the 2022 Census, 32.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 59.8% is between 15 and 64, and 7.8% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 99.6% of the population in the Umzumbe Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 0.1% as Indian/Asian, 0.1% as White, and 0.1% as Coloured.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 95.9% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 1% speak isiNdebele, and 3.1% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Umzumbe Local Municipality are tourism and agriculture.
Municipal council and management
The Umzumbe 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) won a majority of 21 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 21 – IFP: 14 – EFF: 2 – APEMO: 1 – ATM: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Mlungisi Ndlovu |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | MZ Luthuli (Chairperson: Human Settlements, Planning and Infrastructure Services Portfolio Committee) |
| Speaker | Sbonelo Maphumulo |
| Chief Whip | n/a |
| Other Council Members | – SR Cele (Chairperson: Social, Community Services and Special Programmes Portfolio Committee) – BB Luthuli – AM Luthuli – RL Mjwara (Chairperson: Governance and Corporate Services Portfolio Committee) – M Ndlovu (Chairperson: Youth Development Portfolio Committee) |
| Municipal Manager | Thembinkosi Patrick Cele |
| Chief Financial Officer | N.K.M Duma |
| Senior Management | – Z.A.N Lushaba (Acting Director: Social and Community Services) – P.D Ngcobo (Director: Corporate Services) – M.B Shangase (Director: Technical Services) – Vusi Sibiya |
| Communications Officers | – Sabelo Ncwane (Senior Manager: Communications, Mayoralty and Youth Development) |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Umzumbe Local Municipality.
- Friedenau
- KwaDweshula
- Mathulini
- Mtwalume
- St Faith’s
- Umzumbe
Contact details
The contact details of the Umzumbe Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 561, Hibberdene, 4220 |
| Physical Address: | Sipofu Road, Mathulini Traditional Council, 4220 |
| Telephone: | 039 972 0005 |
| Fax: | 039 972 0099 |
| Email: | umzumbe@umzumbe.gov.za |
| Website: | www.umzumbe.gov.za |
| Police: | – 10111 – 039 835 0012 |
| Umdoni Fire & Emergencies: | 039 974 1016 |
| Ambulance: | 10177 |
| Fraud & Anti-Corruption Hotline: | 0800 701 701 |
| Local Municipality Disaster: | 039 972 0005 |
