Umtshezi Local Municipality

Coordinates: 29°00′17″S 29°52′19″E / 29.00472°S 29.87194°E / -29.00472; 29.87194
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Umtshezi
Official seal of Umtshezi
Location in KwaZulu-Natal
Location in KwaZulu-Natal
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
DistrictuThukela
SeatEstcourt
Wards9
Government
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • MayorBongani Dlamini (African National Congress)
Area
 • Total1,972 km2 (761 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total83,153
 • Density42/km2 (110/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African90.2%
 • Coloured1.4%
 • Indian/Asian5.8%
 • White2.3%
First languages (2011)
 • Zulu84.7%
 • English10.7%
 • Southern Ndebele1.2%
 • Afrikaans1.1%
 • Other2.3%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeKZN234

Umtshezi Local Municipality was an administrative area in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. uMtshezi is an isiZulu name word for Bushman or San. The name uMtshezi refers to the Bushman River.[3] After municipal elections on 3 August 2016, it was merged into the larger Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality.

Main places[edit]

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[4]

Place Code Area (km2) Population
Estcourt 51601 14.47 13,958
Khwezi 51602 14.45 2,978
Kwanobamba 51603 0.99 2,702
Weenen 51605 2.24 1,157
Wembezi 51606 18.29 17,497
Remainder of the municipality 51604 2,079.51 21,630

Politics[edit]

The municipal council consisted of seventeen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Nine councillors were elected by first-past-the-post voting in nine wards, while the remaining eight were chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives was proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 18 May 2011 no party obtained a majority; the African National Congress won eight seats, the Inkatha Freedom Party five, and the National Freedom Party three. The following table shows the results of the election.[5][6]

Party Votes Seats
Ward List Total % Ward List Total
ANC 10,945 11,027 21,972 46.2 6 2 8
IFP 6,196 6,191 12,387 26.1 2 3 5
NFP 4,633 4,610 9,243 19.4 1 2 3
DA 1,831 1,801 3,632 7.6 0 1 1
Minority Front 159 138 297 0.6 0 0 0
Total 23,764 23,767 47,531 100.0 9 8 17
Spoilt votes 385 341 726

The ANC and the NFP formed a coalition to govern the majority. Subsequently, the ANC won a by-election in a ward previously held by the IFP, giving the ANC a majority of nine seats.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ^ South African Languages - Place names
  4. ^ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa
  5. ^ "Results Summary – All Ballots: Umtshezi" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Seat Calculation Detail: Umtshezi" (PDF). Independent Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  7. ^ Hans, Bongani (11 November 2011). "ANC promises to keep coalition despite victory". The Mercury. Retrieved 4 December 2013.

External links[edit]

29°00′17″S 29°52′19″E / 29.00472°S 29.87194°E / -29.00472; 29.87194