The uThukela District Municipality is a Category C municipality located in the western region of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
uThukela District Municipality
| Type of municipality: | District (Category C) |
| Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Municipal code: | DC23 |
| Seat: | Ladysmith |
| Local municipalities: | 3 |
| Total area: | 11,134 km² (4,299 square miles) |
| Population: | 789,092 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala |
About
The uThukela District Municipality is geographically situated in the western part of KwaZulu-Natal. Its headquarters/seat is in Ladysmith.
The district acquired its name from the uThukela River, which rises from the Drakensberg Mountains and supplies water to a big part of KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.
The district covers an area of 11,134 km² (4,299 square miles) and is divided into three local municipalities namely;
- Alfred Duma Local Municipality
- Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality
- Okhahlamba Local Municipality
The uThukela District Municipality is bordered by uMgungundlovu District Municipality to the south, uMzinyathi District Municipality to the east, Amajuba District Municipality to the north, the Free State’s Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality to the west, and Lesotho to the southwest.
The district is rich in history, with a wealth of battle sites, historical buildings, and memorials.
The national routes the N3 (runs from south to north and vice versa) and the N11 (adjoins N3 via the R103 in the Ladysmith Urban Centre) run through the municipal area and are a busy province corridor with major links between the national industrial hub of Johannesburg.
The uThukela District is a combination of rural and urban society, this is due to the existence of a number of towns and townships as the urban component while rural areas are within Ingonyama Trust Areas.
The district is 75% rural and most of the areas comprise traditional areas. These rural areas comprise settlements, subsistence agricultural land, and limited economic and social activities.
Map
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the uThukela District Municipality has a population of 789,092 residents, compared to 706,588 in 2016, and 668,072 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 1.62%.
According to the 2022 Census, 30.5% of the population is under the age of 15, 63.5% is between 15 and 64, and 6.0% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 95.1% of the population in the uThukela District Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 2.4% as Indian/Asian, 1.7% as White, and 0.6% as Coloured.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 90.5% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 4.7% speak English, 1.2% speak Afrikaans, 1.1% speak isiNdebele, and 2.5% speak other languages.
Economy
The uThukela District Municipality economy is hugely driven by the tertiary sector with the community services (23%), finance (13%), transport (12%), and trade (14%) sectors.
Alfred Duma local municipality is the economic hub of the uThukela district municipality and controls the spatial economy of the district.
District council and management
The municipality is under S139 administration, effective from August 2018.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – IFP: 6 – ANC: 5 – APEMO: 1 – DA: 1 – EFF: 1 |
| Executive Mayor | Inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala (Chairperson: Finance Portfolio Committee) |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | MH Shange (Chairperson: Social Services Portfolio Committee) |
| Speaker | TY Nqubuka |
| Chief Whip | BB Sithole |
| Other Council Members | – MM Khoza (Chairperson: Infrastructural Portfolio Committee) – NW Mchunu – TDJ Van Rensburg (Chairperson: Municipal Public Accounts Committee) – F Zuma (Chairperson: Corporate Services Portfolio Committee) |
| Administrator | Mzubanzi Silinga |
| Municipal Manager | MB Mnguni (Acting) |
| Chief Financial Officer | n/a |
| Senior Management | – BS Hlomuka (General Manager: Corporate Services) – BH Khoza (General Manager: Municipal Health and Water Services Authority) – BP Mnguni (General Manager: Water and Technical Services) – SO Mnguni (Manager: Office of the Mayor) – W Viljoen (Acting General Manager: Social and Economic Services) |
| Communications Officers | Jabulani Mkhonza |
Towns/villages
Below are towns/villages in the uThukela District Municipality.
- Bergville
- Brakfontein
- Cathkin Park
- Colenso
- Cornfields
- Danskraal
- Driefontein
- Ekuvukeni
- Elandslaagte
- Estcourt
- Frere
- Geluksburg
- Goodhome
- Kleinfontein
- Kliprivier
- Ladysmith
- Moyeni
- Rookdale
- Van Reenen
- Waayhoek
- Watersmeet
- Weenen
- Wembezi
- Winterton
Contact details
Contact details of the uThukela District Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | PO Box 116, Ladysmith, 3370 |
| Physical address: | 36 Lyel Street / 33 Forbes Street, Ladysmith |
| Telephone: | 036 638 5100 / 036 638 2400 |
| Fax: | 036 637 5608 / 036 635 5501 |
| Email: | callcentre@uthukela.gov.za |
| Website: | www.uthukela.gov.za |
| Fraud & Corruption Hotline: | – Tel: 080 00 33 660 – Email: fraudhotline@uthukela.gov.za |
