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uMhlathuze Local Municipality

Coordinates: 28°45′S 31°54′E / 28.750°S 31.900°E / -28.750; 31.900
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uMhlathuze
Official seal of uMhlathuze
Location in KwaZulu-Natal
Location in KwaZulu-Natal
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
DistrictKing Cetshwayo
SeatRichards Bay
Wards30
Government
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • MayorXolani Ngwezi[1] (IFP)
 • Deputy MayorChristo Botha[2] (DA)
Area
 • Total793 km2 (306 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[4]
 • Total412,075
 • Density520/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2022)
 • Black African87.7%
 • Coloured0.9%
 • Indian/Asian3.7%
 • White7.5%
First languages (2022)
 • Zulu61.3%
 • English19.7%
 • Afrikaans15.1%
 • Southern Ndebele1.2%
 • Other2.7%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeKZN282

uMhlathuze Local Municipality is an administrative area in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The municipality is named after the Mhlatuze River.[6]

The municipality was enlarged at the time of the South African municipal election, 2016 when part of the disbanded Ntambanana Local Municipality was merged into it.[7]

Main places

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The 2024 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[8]

Place Code Area (km2) Population
Bejani 53801 12.82 4,654
Dube 53802 53.95 52,239
Empangeni 53803 14.00 13,306
Esikhawini 53804 5.90 32,437
Khoza 53805 14.32 24,172
Kwambonambi Forest Reserve 53806 56.58 117
Mkhwanazi 53807 66.29 22,758
Nkwanazi 53808 31.86 25,780
Nseleni 53809 1.30 8,873
Richards Bay Part 1 53810 75.80 30,605
Richards Bay Part 2 53811 0.42 382
Richards Bay Part 3 53812 21.19 13,865
Umlalazi Nature Reserve 53814 27.89 347
Vulindlela 53815 2.44 4,044
Zungu/Madlebe 53816 71.06 48,977
Remainder of the municipality 53813 339.73 6,630

Politics

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The municipal council consists of sixty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-four councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-four wards, while the remaining thirty-three are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

In the 2021 South African municipal elections the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, winning a plurality of twenty-seven seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[9]

PartyWardListTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
African National Congress33,82740.332032,39638.67727
Inkatha Freedom Party28,71434.231029,30334.981323
Democratic Alliance9,88911.7949,85411.7648
Economic Freedom Fighters7,6279.0907,7689.2766
National Freedom Party7710.9207600.9111
African Christian Democratic Party7130.8507290.8711
Freedom Front Plus5410.6406080.7311
African Independent Congress270.0308761.0500
Abantu Batho Congress3020.3602890.3400
African People's Movement3000.3602860.3400
Justice and Employment Party2400.2903160.3800
Independent candidates4460.5300
South Africa Vuka Movement1970.2301660.2000
United Christian Democratic Party1180.140790.0900
Black First Land First740.0901010.1200
African Transformation Movement450.0501230.1500
United Independent Movement110.010910.1100
Congregational Christian Unity400.050290.0300
Total83,882100.003483,774100.003367
Valid votes83,88298.7183,77498.64
Invalid/blank votes1,0921.291,1591.36
Total votes84,974100.0084,933100.00
Registered voters/turnout192,91644.05192,91644.03

By-elections

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The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period from the election in November 2021.

Date Ward Party of the previous councillor Party of the newly elected councillor
14 September 2022[10] 12 African National Congress Inkatha Freedom Party

The by-election took place after the African National Congress (ANC) representative, facing community pressure, resigned. With the victory, the Inkatha Freedom Party solidified its coalition hold on council.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "City of uMhlathuze elects new mayor". Zululand Observer. 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  2. ^ "All rise for the new uMhlathuze deputy mayor". Zululand Observer. 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  3. ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  4. ^ a b "uMhlathuze (Local Municipality, South Africa)". Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location. 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  5. ^ "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  6. ^ South African Languages - Place names
  7. ^ "Ntambanana municipality to dissolve in September". Zululand Observer. 22 April 2016.
  8. ^ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa
  9. ^ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — uMhlathuze". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  10. ^ "Municipal By-elections results - Electoral Commission of South Africa". results.elections.org.za. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  11. ^ Sussman, Wayne (2022-09-15). "SEPTEMBER BY-ELECTIONS: DA triumphs in Prince Albert nail-biter while IFP bucks trend to shock ANC in KZN". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
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28°45′S 31°54′E / 28.750°S 31.900°E / -28.750; 31.900