Msunduzi Local Municipality

Last updated
Msunduzi
Local municipality
Msunduzi CoA.png
Seal
Map of KwaZulu-Natal with Msunduzi highlighted.svg
Location of Msunduzi Local Municipality within KwaZulu-Natal
Coordinates: 29°37′S30°23′E / 29.617°S 30.383°E / -29.617; 30.383
Country South Africa
Province KwaZulu-Natal
District uMgungundlovu
Seat Pietermaritzburg
Wards 37
Government
[1]
 • Type Municipal council
 • Mayor(ANC)
Area
 • Total634 km2 (245 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [2]
 • Total618,536
 • Density980/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[2]
 •  Black African 81.1%
 •  Coloured 2.9%
 •  Indian/Asian 9.8%
 •  White 6.0%
First languages (2011)
[2]
 •  Zulu 72.4%
 •  English 19.0%
 •  Afrikaans 1.9%
 •  Xhosa 1.9%
 • Other4.8%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Municipal codeKZN225

Msunduzi Municipality (Zulu : UMasipala wase Msunduzi) is a local municipality within the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It encompasses the city of Pietermaritzburg, which is the capital of KwaZulu-Natal and the main economic hub of the Umgungundlovu District Municipality.

Contents

Msunduzi Municipality is situated on the N3 highway at a junction of an industrial corridor (from Durban to Pietermaritzburg) and an agro-industrial corridor (stretching from Pietermaritzburg to Estcourt). On the regional scale, it is located at the cross section of the N3 corridor and the Greytown Road corridor to the north, a tourist route to the Drakensberg, and Kokstad Road to the south. [3]

The city of Pietermaritzburg is a provincial and national centre of educational excellence. Pietermaritzburg is a seat of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is home to several other institutions of higher learning. In addition, Pietermaritzburg is home to a host of private and government-owned institutions of primary and secondary education. [3]

Politics

The Msunduzi Local Municipality council consists of eighty-one members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Forty-one councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in forty-one wards, while the remaining forty 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) lost its majority, obtaining a plurality of forty seats. The following table shows the results of the election. [4]

PartyWardListTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
African National Congress 74,23847.162977,70349.481140
Democratic Alliance 30,07419.101030,69719.55616
Economic Freedom Fighters 18,26211.60018,67311.891010
Inkatha Freedom Party 13,2718.43115,2709.7278
Independent candidates 7,7164.9011
Abantu Batho Congress 2,9141.8502,6141.6622
African Independent Congress 1,7931.1401,7281.1011
Patriotic Alliance 1,5370.9801,4540.9311
African Christian Democratic Party 1,0060.6401,1590.7411
Justice and Employment Party 8030.5101,1110.7111
18 other parties5,8143.6906,6284.2200
Total157,428100.0041157,037100.004081
Valid votes157,42897.78157,03797.10
Invalid/blank votes3,5702.224,6972.90
Total votes160,998100.00161,734100.00
Registered voters/turnout339,25747.46339,25747.67

Mayors

Financial mismanagement

By May 2023, the municipality owed Eskom R400 million for electricity services, but did not have the means to pay, and it approached national government for a bailout. By August 2023, the municipality had fallen well below the National Treasury's benchmark of at least 90 days cash-on-hand, stating that it had between 27 and 30 days availability, although opposition African Christian Democratic Party councillor Niemand Reinu stated that the municipality only had 7 days cash available. The municipality however intended to go ahead with a R27 million sponsorship to local soccer club Royal AM. The sponsorship was reported to be up for review in April 2024. [11]

The municipality is struggling to collect revenue, with an estimated 25000 illegal electricity connections. [12]

In September 2023, R33 million was reported missing from a pension fund for retiring employees. [13]

Housing

As of September 2023, Msunduzi had identified 50 problem buildings, although in the aftermath of the 2023 Johannesburg building fire, inspections are ongoing and the number is expected to grow. [14]

Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places: [15]

PlaceCodeArea (km2)Population
Ashdown 51101 3.0313,531
Edendale 51102 50.5379,573
Imbali 51103 23.4079,115
Inadi 51104 87.2534,131
Mafunze 51105 60.5536,186
Mpumuza 51106 97.5655,260
Nxamalala 51108 12.9414,417
Pietermaritzburg 51109 160.99223,519
Sobantu 51110 1.078,155
Wilgerfontein 51111 0.431,073
Ximba 51112 5.512,947
Remainder of the municipality 51107 144.535,315

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Nkululeko Ntuthuko Mahlaba is a South African politician and healthcare practitioner. A member of the African National Congress, he serves as the party's provincial treasurer in KwaZulu-Natal as well as the chairperson of the party's Mbuso Kubheka Region. Since May 2023, he has been the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) responsible for Sports, Arts and Culture in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government. From August 2022 to May 2023, he was the MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works. Mahlaba previously served as the executive mayor of the Newcastle Local Municipality from 2019 to 2021.

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Thulani Vincent Xulu is a South African politician who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature since 2019. He was formerly a local councillor in Msunduzi Local Municipality.

Alpha Shelembe is a South African politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature from 2014 to 2019. Between 2006 and 2011, he was a local councillor in Msunduzi Local Municipality, where he was Speaker from 2006 to 2010 and Deputy Mayor for a brief period in 2011. He resigned from the council in June 2011 after prolonged protests calling for his removal. He is also known for his activities as a local ANC leader in the party's Moses Mabhida branch in Umgungundlovu, including as the branch's regional chairperson between 2012 and 2014.

Pamella "Nana" Mnandi is a South African politician from KwaZulu-Natal. She represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1999 until 2005, when she resigned. Her resignation followed her conviction on a fraud charge in the Travelgate scandal.

Yusuf Suleman Bhamjee is a South African politician, academic, and former anti-apartheid activist. He was the Mayor of uMgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal from 2008 to 2016. Before that, he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and National Assembly between 1994 and 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Contact list: Executive Mayors". Government Communication & Information System. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Statistics by place". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 Integrated Development Plan - May 2009. Msunduzi Municipality. Retrieved on Oct 7, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Msunduzi". wikitable.frith.dev. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  5. 1 2 "Hlatshwayo snatches mayorship from Zondi". Iol.co.za . 16 March 2006.
  6. ↑ "Msunduzi.gov.za". Msunduzi Municipality. Archived from the original on 24 September 2006 – via Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "MEC fires official for 13 charges". Iol.co.za. 21 January 2011.
  8. ↑ "Tough year for Msunduzi Municipality". Iol.co.za. 23 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "Njilo to run for mayor". News24.com . 20 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "'There will be no aloof councillors'-Njilo". Maritzburgsun.co.za. 24 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "KZN News Bites: Broke Msunduzi may cut Royal AM sponsorship". Scrolla.Africa. 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  12. ↑ Maliti, Soyiso. "Msunduzi has 27 days' cash, owes Eskom and Umgeni Water - but insists on R27m Royal AM sponsorship deal". News24. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  13. ↑ Ndaliso, Chris (2023-09-02). "'We want our money,' pensioners tell Msunduzi". Witness. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  14. ↑ Xulu, Khethukuthula (2023-09-02). "Is there a plan for KZN's problem buildings?". Witness. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  15. ↑ Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa
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