uPhongolo Local Municipality

uPhongolo Local Municipality, is a local municipality in the northern area of Zululand, in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.

uPhongolo
Local municipality
Seal
Location of UPhongolo Local Municipality within KwaZulu-Natal
Coordinates: 27°23′S 31°37′E
Country	South Africa
Province	KwaZulu-Natal
District	Zululand
Seat	Pongola
Wards	15
Government [1]
• Type	Municipal council
• Mayor	Mr. S Mhlongo (2020)
Area
• Total	3,239 km^2 (1,251 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	127,238
• Density	39/km^2 (100/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [2]
• Black African	98.1%
• Coloured	0.1%
• Indian/Asian	0.1%
• White	1.5%
First languages (2011) [3]
• Zulu	94.0%
• Afrikaans	1.5%
• Southern Ndebele	1.2%
• English	1.1%
• Other	2.2%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal code	KZN262

In 2007, the uPhongolo Municipality contained 154 rural shops, 124 schools, 27 hotels, resorts or conference facilities, 15 clinics, 12 recreational facilities, 6 community halls, 4 post offices, 2 police stations, and 2 law courts. The municipality is largely composed of traditional areas, with tribal land patterns and high density rural settlements. 82% of the population lives in rural areas.[4]

Geography

The N2 national road corridor passes through the uPhongolo area as a national link between Gauteng and the Richards Bay complex, and on to Durban in the south. It also connects with Eswatini just to the north of the uPhongolo Municipal area. This is the primary development corridor in uPhongolo.

The two main rivers in the municipality are the Mkuze River in the south and the Phongolo River in the north, the latter feeding the Pongolapoort Dam, located on the eastern boundary of the municipality.

The Phongolo River rises just east of Wakkerstroom and drains an area of nearly 8,000 km² where the rainfall often exceeds 1,000 mm a year. Because the irrigation weir at Pongola could not fully regulate the river's erratic water flow, the 89-meter-high Pongolapoort Dam wall was built in 1972 in a narrow gorge in the Lebombo Mountains. Phongolo is the Zulu word for "trough," referring to the many deep pools with steep sides along the river's course.[5]

Economy

Agriculture and tourism form the basis for the municipality’s economy. Major development components consist of game and nature reserves, agricultural activities, traditional settlement areas and some urban nodes.

The public sector is the dominant provider of employment opportunities. However, the informal sector is expanding, primarily based on the taxi industry, informal financial services and taverns.[4]

Large areas of sugarcane and citrus are cultivated in the region.

The uPhongolo Municipality provides regional access to a wide range of tourist activities outside its own boundaries. It has within its area of jurisdiction two key tourist attractions: the Ithala Game Reserve and the Pongolapoort Dam. These attractions are complemented by a large number of private game farms and game reserves, on which a number of lodges and other tourist facilities are located.[6]

Average income levels are low, with 66% of households receiving no income or less than R2400 per month. The traditional and rural areas are the most poverty stricken. Unemployment levels are relatively high; only 13.43% of the population are formally employed. Close to half of the population are children, placing pressure on the need for educational and social facilities. Many of these children are orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS.[4]

Politics

The municipal council consists of twenty-nine members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fifteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fifteen wards, while the remaining fourteen 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 3 August 2016 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of fifteen seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[7][8]

Party		Votes				Seats
		Ward	List	Total	%	Ward	List	Total
	ANC	18,608	19,035	37,643	54.4	12	3	15
	IFP	12,123	12,429	24,552	35.5	2	8	10
	Democratic Alliance	2,070	2,140	4,210	6.1	0	2	2
	Economic Freedom Fighters	665	796	1,461	2.1	0	1	1
	Independent	977	–	977	1.4	1	–	1
	ACDP	183	175	358	0.5	0	0	0
Total		34,626	34,575	69,201	100.0	15	14	29
Spoilt votes		668	665	1,333

Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[9]

Place	Code	Area (km^2)	Population
Dlamini	52801	59.89	2,073
Itala Nature Reserve	52802	251.71	149
Msibi	52803	140.19	6,728
Ntshangase	52804	258.14	49,672
Pongola	52805	4.66	2,562
Sibiya/Masidla	52806	258.68	24,908
Simelane	52807	67.64	10,813
Remainder of the municipality	52808	2,190.35	22,865

References

1. "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
2. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
3. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
4. Integrated Development Plan 2009/2010. uPhongolo Municipality. Retrieved on Oct 10, 2009.
5. http://www.uphongolo.com/
6. http://www.kzntopbusiness.co.za/site/uphongolo
7. "Results Summary – All Ballots: Uphongolo" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
8. "Seat Calculation Detail: Uphongolo" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
9. Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa

External links

• Official website