Umzimkhulu Local Municipality

Umzimkhulu Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala wase Mzimkhulu; Xhosa: uMasipala wase Mzimkhulu) is a local municipality within the Harry Gwala District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Umzimkhulu is an isiXhosa and isiZulu word meaning "big/great house".^[4] Prior to the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of South Africa in 2005, confirmed by the Thirteenth in 2007, it was part of the Eastern Cape.

Umzimkhulu
Local municipality
Seal
Location in KwaZulu-Natal
Country	South Africa
Province	KwaZulu-Natal
District	Harry Gwala
Seat	Umzimkhulu
Wards	20
Government [1]
• Type	Municipal council
• Mayor	Mphuthumi Mpabanga
Area
• Total	2,435 km2 (940 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	180,302
• Density	74/km2 (190/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	99.3%
• Coloured	0.3%
• Indian/Asian	0.1%
• White	0.1%
First languages (2011) [3]
• Zulu	47.3%
• Xhosa	46.3%
• English	1.6%
• Other	4.8%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code	KZN435

About 90.8% of the population reside in rural areas, while the remaining 9.2% are urban-based. The municipality faces severe backlogs with respect to water, sanitation and electricity provision. In addition, road infrastructure remains poor and provides only limited access to the area.^[5]

Main places

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

Place	Code	Area (km2)	Population
Bisi	23701	0.64	57
Clydesdale	23702	2.43	1,774
Dumakude	23703	178.10	10,252
Fodo	23704	237.33	17,311
Ibisi	23705	2.56	2,442
Indawana	23706	231.34	18,411
Jogilizwe	23707	39.00	5,222
Jongilizwe	23708	19.44	3,004
Ladamu	23709	78.41	6,701
Mabandla	23710	129.08	3,671
Malenge	23711	91.61	4,232
Mvolozi	23712	162.26	16,006
Nqozama	23713	4.26	287
Rietvlei 1	23714	40.55	2,666
Rietvlei 2	23715	4.25	700
Rietvlei 3 Part 1	23716	3.91	4,374
Rietvlei 3 Part 2	23724	0.13	221
Sandile	23717	133.94	8,735
Silahla	23718	126.47	13,275
Singisi	23719	1.36	813
Straalhoek Forrest Station	23721	0.20	66
Straalhoek	23720	0.13	135
Umzimkhulu	23725	12.56	6,519
Zwelethu	23723	203.23	17,240
Remainder of the municipality	23722	732.90	30,251

Politics

Main article: Umzimkhulu Local Municipality elections

The municipal council consists of forty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-two councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-two wards, while the remaining twenty-one 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 thirty-three seats on the council.

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

Party		Ward			List			Total seats
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
	African National Congress	32,130	72.92	21	32,664	75.46	12	33
	Economic Freedom Fighters	5,253	11.92	0	5,975	13.80	6	6
	Independent candidates	4,126	9.36	1				1
	Inkatha Freedom Party	1,002	2.27	0	1,444	3.34	1	1
	Democratic Alliance	1,082	2.46	0	1,196	2.76	1	1
	African Independent Congress	48	0.11	0	1,364	3.15	1	1
	Abantu Batho Congress	151	0.34	0	242	0.56	0	0
	African People's Convention	190	0.43	0	159	0.37	0	0
	African Transformation Movement	82	0.19	0	243	0.56	0	0
Total		44,064	100.00	22	43,287	100.00	21	43
Valid votes		44,064	97.64		43,287	96.24
Invalid/blank votes		1,066	2.36		1,690	3.76
Total votes		45,130	100.00		44,977	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		90,315	49.97		90,315	49.80