Vulamehlo Local Municipality

Vulamehlo
Local municipality

Seal

Location of Vulamehlo Local Municipality within KwaZulu-Natal
Coordinates: 30°13′S 30°36′E / 30.217°S 30.600°E / -30.217; 30.600Coordinates: 30°13′S 30°36′E / 30.217°S 30.600°E / -30.217; 30.600
Country South Africa
Province KwaZulu-Natal
District Ugu
Seat Scottburgh
Wards 10
Government[1]
  Type Municipal council
  Mayor W.T. Dube
Area
  Total 960 km2 (370 sq mi)
Population (2011)[2]
  Total 77,403
  Density 81/km2 (210/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[2]
  Black African 98.9%
  Coloured 0.2%
  Indian/Asian 0.5%
  White 0.3%
First languages (2011)[3]
  Zulu 94.6%
  English 1.7%
  Southern Ndebele 1.3%
  Other 2.4%
Time zone SAST (UTC+2)
Municipal code KZN211

Vulamehlo Local Municipality is a local municipality in Ugu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. It is located south of the eThekwini municipality and is bordered by uMdoni to the east, Mkhambathini and Richmond to the north and Ubuhlebezwe to the west. There is an almost equal split of land between commercial agriculture and traditional settlement areas. 48% of the area is held under communal ownership through traditional authorities; the balance of the area is privately owned, except for Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, which is managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.[4]

Topography

The municipality is characterised by sharp valleys, river systems, and hilly, broken terrain. Approximately 30% of the area is estimated to contain slopes of 1:3 and steeper. The fragmented and steep topography has limited development and agricultural production, and has greatly contributed to the dispersed nature of the area's settlement patterns.[4]

The major river systems within the area are the uMkhomazi, Mpambanyoni and Mthwalume rivers. The other perennial rivers which flow through Vulamehlo include the Nungwane River, Lovu River, Msimbazi River, Mzimayi River, uMzinto and Mkhumbane rivers.

Economy and infrastructure

The Vulamehlo Municipality is largely made up of traditional settlements and is currently characterised by limited economic activity. The area has high levels of unemployment, with many of those who are employed commuting long distances to other economic centres such as Durban, Port Shepstone, Ixopo, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg.

The main sources of income and economic activities in the municipality include subsistence farming and commercial agriculture, including the production of sugarcane and timber plantation. Small-scale sugarcane growers tend to cluster around Dududu, Kenterton and Mfume.

The dispersed, low-density settlement pattern has made the provision of physical and social infrastructure (roads, water, electricity, clinics, schools, and police stations) relatively difficult and expensive. The network of roads connecting the area's settlements is generally poor. The Vulamehlo Municipality is one of the localities within the Ugu District that is hardest hit by high unemployment levels, poverty, and negative economic growth rate.[5]

Main places

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

Place Code Area (km2) Population
Cele 5010122.434,682
Emandleni 5010260.8310,606
Ezembeni 5010386.4613,462
Isimahla 5010466.405,291
Izimpethu Endlovu 5010514.781,104
Izimpethu Zendlovu & EM 5010615.975,619
Mapumulo 5010744.866,200
Mbhele 5010849.523,725
Nyuswa 5010916.961,892
Qiko 5011049.163,074
Thoyana 50111104.8714,637
Ukuthula 501128.112,090
Umzinto 5011336.066,397
Remainder of the municipality 50114395.504,272

Politics

The municipal council consists of twenty members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Ten councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in ten wards, while the remaining ten 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 18 May 2011 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of thirteen seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[7][8]

Party Votes Seats
Ward List Total % Ward List Total
African National Congress 15,281 15,614 30,895 63.6 9 4 13
National Freedom Party 6,325 6,039 12,364 25.4 1 4 5
Inkatha Freedom Party 2,488 2,463 4,951 10.2 0 2 2
African Christian Democratic Party 195 202 397 0.8 0 0 0
Total 24,289 24,318 48,607 100.0 10 10 20
Spoilt votes 510 515 1,025

References

  1. "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 Vulamehlo Integrated Development Plan (2009/2010 Final Review). Vulamehlo Municipality. Retrieved on Oct 7, 2009.
  5. "Vulamehlo Municipality." KwaZulu-Natal Top Business. Retrieved on Oct 7, 2009.
  6. Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa
  7. "Results Summary – All Ballots: Vulamehlo" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  8. "Seat Calculation Detail: Vulamehlo" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 December 2013.

External links

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