# Umzimkhulu Local Municipality

Umzimkhulu Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala wase Mzimkhulu; Xhosa: uMasipala wase Mzimkhulu) is a local municipality within the Harry Gwala District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Umzimkhulu is an isiXhosa and isiZulu word meaning "big/great house". Prior to the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of South Africa in 2005, confirmed by the Thirteenth in 2007, it was part of the Eastern Cape.
About 90.8% of the population reside in rural areas, while the remaining 9.2% are urban-based. The municipality faces severe backlogs with respect to water, sanitation and electricity provision. In addition, road infrastructure remains poor and provides only limited access to the area.

## Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:
| Place | Code | Area (km$^2$) | Population |
| Bisi | 23701 | 0.64 | 57 |
| Clydesdale | 23702 | 2.43 | 1,774 |
| Dumakude | 23703 | 178.10 | 10,252 |
| Fodo | 23704 | 237.33 | 17,311 |
| Ibisi | 23705 | 2.56 | 2,442 |
| Indawana | 23706 | 231.34 | 18,411 |
| Jogilizwe | 23707 | 39.00 | 5,222 |
| Jongilizwe | 23708 | 19.44 | 3,004 |
| Ladamu | 23709 | 78.41 | 6,701 |
| Mabandla | 23710 | 129.08 | 3,671 |
| Malenge | 23711 | 91.61 | 4,232 |
| Mvolozi | 23712 | 162.26 | 16,006 |
| Nqozama | 23713 | 4.26 | 287 |
| Rietvlei 1 | 23714 | 40.55 | 2,666 |
| Rietvlei 2 | 23715 | 4.25 | 700 |
| Rietvlei 3 Part 1 | 23716 | 3.91 | 4,374 |
| Rietvlei 3 Part 2 | 23724 | 0.13 | 221 |
| Sandile | 23717 | 133.94 | 8,735 |
| Silahla | 23718 | 126.47 | 13,275 |
| Singisi | 23719 | 1.36 | 813 |
| Straalhoek Forrest Station | 23721 | 0.20 | 66 |
| Straalhoek | 23720 | 0.13 | 135 |
| Umzimkhulu | 23725 | 12.56 | 6,519 |
| Zwelethu | 23723 | 203.23 | 17,240 |
| Remainder of the municipality | 23722 | 732.90 | 30,251 |

## Politics

The municipal council consists of forty-three members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-two councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-two wards, while the remaining twenty-one 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) won a majority of thirty-three seats on the council.
The following table shows the results of the election.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | African National Congress | 32,130 | 72.92 | 21 | 32,664 | 75.46 | 12 | 33 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 5,253 | 11.92 | 0 | 5,975 | 13.80 | 6 | 6 |
| | Independent candidates | 4,126 | 9.36 | 1 | | | | 1 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 1,002 | 2.27 | 0 | 1,444 | 3.34 | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 1,082 | 2.46 | 0 | 1,196 | 2.76 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Independent Congress | 48 | 0.11 | 0 | 1,364 | 3.15 | 1 | 1 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 151 | 0.34 | 0 | 242 | 0.56 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 190 | 0.43 | 0 | 159 | 0.37 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 82 | 0.19 | 0 | 243 | 0.56 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 44,064 | 100.00 | 22 | 43,287 | 100.00 | 21 | 43 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 44,064 | 97.64 | | 43,287 | 96.24 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,066 | 2.36 | | 1,690 | 3.76 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 45,130 | 100.00 | | 44,977 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 90,315 | 49.97 | | 90,315 | 49.80 | | |