Mkhambathini Local Municipality

Mkhambathini Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala wase Mkhambathini) is a local municipality within the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Mkhabathini is an isiZulu word derived from eMkhambathini meaning "the place of acacia trees".^[4]

Mkhambathini
Local municipality
Location in KwaZulu-Natal
Coordinates: 29°43′S 30°31′E
Country	South Africa
Province	KwaZulu-Natal
District	uMgungundlovu
Seat	Camperdown
Wards	7
Government [1]
• Type	Municipal council
Area
• Total	891 km2 (344 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	63,142
• Density	71/km2 (180/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	94.8%
• Coloured	0.3%
• Indian/Asian	1.0%
• White	3.7%
First languages (2011) [3]
• Zulu	84.8%
• Xhosa	5.1%
• English	4.9%
• Sotho	1.9%
• Other	3.3%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code	KZN226

The municipality is well located in relation to Durban and Pietermaritzburg and adjoins Cato Ridge, a potential industrial node. The N3, which is identified in the Spatial Growth and Development Strategy as a provincial corridor, runs east–west through the central part of the municipal area.^[5]

Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:^[6]

Place	Code	Area (km2)	Population
Camperdown	51201	2.19	799
Embo	51202	145.40	18,615
Ilanga	51203	2.15	2,378
Macala	51204	15.01	450
Mapumulu	51205	54.95	8,857
Mdluli	51206	58.85	11,477
Remainder of the municipality	51207	638.19	16,489

Politics

Main article: Mkhambathini Local Municipality elections

The municipal council consists of fourteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in seven wards, while the remaining seven 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 nine seats on the council.

The following table shows the results of the 2021 election.^[7]

Party		Ward			List			Total seats
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
	African National Congress	7,825	63.77	7	7,794	63.61	2	9
	Economic Freedom Fighters	1,670	13.61	0	1,647	13.44	2	2
	Inkatha Freedom Party	1,405	11.45	0	1,447	11.81	2	2
	Democratic Alliance	996	8.12	0	987	8.06	1	1
	African Transformation Movement	249	2.03	0	264	2.15	0	0
	Abantu Batho Congress	46	0.37	0	44	0.36	0	0
	National Freedom Party	44	0.36	0	34	0.28	0	0
	African Christian Democratic Party	35	0.29	0	35	0.29	0	0
Total		12,270	100.00	7	12,252	100.00	7	14
Valid votes		12,270	97.75		12,252	97.61
Invalid/blank votes		282	2.25		300	2.39
Total votes		12,552	100.00		12,552	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		31,233	40.19		31,233	40.19