# EThekwini Metropolitan Municipality

The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala weDolobhakazi laseThekwini) is a metropolitan municipality, created in 2000, that includes the city of Durban and surrounding towns. eThekwini is one of the 11 districts of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. As of 2011, the majority of its 3,442,361 inhabitants spoke isiZulu.

## Etymology

In an 1859 Zulu grammar book, Bishop Colenso asserted that the root word iTeku means "bay of the sea", from the name Mtheku, used by the Thabethe tribes clan, who were the leaders of the Nguni people. Furthermore the original local inhabitants and noted that the locative form, eTekwini, was used as a proper name for Durban.
An 1895 English-Zulu dictionary translates the base word iteku as "bay", "creek", "gulf" or "sinus", while a 1905 Zulu-English dictionary notes that eTekwini is used for Durban.

## Geography

eThekwini is surrounded by:
* iLembe (DC29) to the north
* the Indian Ocean to the east
* Ugu (DC21) to the south
* Umgungundlovu (DC22) to the west

## Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:
| Place | Code | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Most spoken language |
| Adams Rural | 599179 | 31.15 | 31,164 | Zulu |
| Amagcino | 599188 | 0.64 | 940 | Zulu |
| Amanzimtoti | 599173 | 9.19 | 13,813 | Zulu |
| Baphehli | 599185 | 6.71 | 11,834 | Zulu |
| Bhekulwandle | 599184 | 2.11 | 4,859 | Zulu |
| Blackburn | 599050 | 29.68 | 23,960 | Zulu |
| Botha's Hill | 599109 | 0.55 | 2,190 | Zulu |
| Cato Ridge | 599092 | 20.18 | 3,874 | Zulu |
| Chatsworth | 599161 | 42.73 | 196,580 | English |
| Chuphulaka | 599021 | 1.42 | 275 | Zulu |
| Cibane | 599006 | 8.46 | 812 | Zulu |
| Clansthal | 599194 | 18.75 | 3,211 | Zulu |
| Clermont | 599114 | 6.94 | 52,075 | Zulu |
| Cliffdale | 599098 | 8.05 | 2,298 | Zulu |
| Clifton Heights | 599098 | 0.3 | 47 | Zulu |
| Congo | 599098 | 0.44 | 1,479 | Zulu |
| Craigieburn | 599195 | 12.7 | 7,574 | English |
| Danganya | 599190 | 2 | 1,847 | Zulu |
| Denge | 599093 | 1.91 | 2,068 | Zulu |
| Desainager | 599015 | 1.45 | 984 | Zulu |
| Dimane | 599069 | 1.9 | 615 | Zulu |
| Diphini | 599082 | 0.41 | 1,626 | Zulu |
| Drummond | 599097 | 7.72 | 955 | English |
| Durban | 599054 | 225.91 | 595,061 | English |
| Ebhobhonono | 599044 | 2.65 | 3,207 | Zulu |
| Ediphini Section | 599149 | 1.16 | 963 | Zulu |
| Egwadeni Section | 599141 | 0.61 | 699 | Zulu |
| Ehlanzeni | 599162 | 6.92 | 3,277 | Zulu |
| Ekwandeni | 599136 | 2.75 | 4,892 | Zulu |
| eMachobeni | 599057 | 9.25 | 8,321 | Zulu |
| Emagezeni | 599140 | 0.82 | 1,192 | Zulu |
| Emalangeni | 599126 | 2.54 | 7,009 | Zulu |
| Emangabazini | 599146 | 1.01 | 1,988 | Zulu |
| Emvini | 599023 | 7.06 | 2,905 | Zulu |
| Esidweni | 599164 | 8.66 | 1,240 | Zulu |
| Esikhelekehleni | 599081 | 4.29 | 3,629 | Zulu |
| Ethekwini | 599187 | 13.07 | 1,803 | English |
| Ethekwini NU | 599187 | 434.38 | 11,200 | Zulu |
| Everton | 599101 | 4.5 | 870 | English |
| Ezakhiweni | 599147 | 0.51 | 1,274 | Zulu |
| Ezihyathini | 599159 | 2.26 | 729 | Zulu |
| Ezimangweni | 599183 | 1.09 | 4,107 | Zulu |
| Ezimbokodweni | 599180 | 3.66 | 12,882 | Zulu |
| Ezimpisini | 599155 | 3.48 | 788 | Zulu |
| Ezinyathini | 599165 | 3.46 | 1,497 | Zulu |
| Ezitendeni | 599125 | 0.63 | 1,542 | Zulu |
| Folweni | 599125 | 3.4 | 30,402 | Zulu |
| Gasa Section | 599086 | 0.56 | 1,442 | Zulu |
| Genazzano | 599013 | 1.04 | 2,585 | English |
| Georgedale | 599120 | 3.12 | 10,354 | Zulu |
| Gillitts | 599117 | 11.54 | 8,661 | English |
| Golokodo | 599177 | 14.44 | 35,055 | Zulu |
| Greylands | 599001 | 14.03 | 2,185 | Xhosa |
| Gunjini | 599011 | 16.14 | 8,031 | Zulu |
| Hambanathi | 599003 | 3.75 | 10,755 | Zulu |
| Harare A | 599087 | 0.47 | 1,021 | Zulu |
| Harare B | 599088 | 0.55 | 1,652 | Zulu |
| Hazelmere | 599019 | 2.34 | 6,751 | Zulu |
| Hillcrest | 599100 | 21.44 | 13,329 | English |
| Illovo North | 599186 | 8.29 | 24,728 | Zulu |
| Imbozamo | 599025 | 22.65 | 3,217 | Zulu |
| Inanda (Inanda Congo) | 599036 | 1.22 | 10,032 | Zulu |
| Inanda A | 599037 | 26.81 | 158,619 | Zulu |
| Inanda B | 599077 | 8.03 | 9,767 | Zulu |
| Inchanga | 599096 | 3.29 | 1,008 | English |
| Inkangala | 599007 | 13.6 | 745 | Zulu |
| Inthuthuko | 599066 | 2.65 | 710 | Zulu |
| Inwabi | 599156 | 34.84 | 9,030 | Zulu |
| Iqadi B | 599040 | 2.77 | 1,029 | Zulu |
| Isiqhoqhoqho | 599134 | 2.45 | 1,725 | Zulu |
| Iziko | 599182 | 0.8 | 4,369 | Zulu |
| Kamba | 599118 | 0.19 | 266 | Zulu |
| Kingsburgh | 599172 | 11.65 | 16,368 | English |
| Klaarwater | 599158 | 13.53 | 26,157 | Zulu |
| Kloof | 599102 | 34.51 | 29,704 | English |
| Kontinga | 599142 | 0.41 | 796 | Zulu |
| KwaCele | 599089 | 0.7 | 2,543 | Zulu |
| KwaDabeka | 599113 | 11.87 | 54,953 | Zulu |
| KwaDlembe | 599128 | 1.83 | 1,632 | Zulu |
| KwaLandeza | 599124 | 0.31 | 1,947 | Zulu |
| KwaMashu | 599055 | 21.47 | 175,663 | Zulu |
| KwaMbiza | 599133 | 1.57 | 2,377 | Zulu |
| KwaMtamtengayo | 599166 | 7.44 | 1,443 | Zulu |
| KwaNdengezi | 599139 | 13.99 | 53,843 | Zulu |
| KwaNgcolosi | 599064 | 2.61 | 918 | Zulu |
| KwaNqetho | 599078 | 3.97 | 3,977 | Zulu |
| Kwantamnteng | 599167 | 1.58 | 240 | Zulu |
| KwaNyuswa | 599071 | 1.99 | 3,890 | Zulu |
| KwaSondela | 599074 | 7.15 | 7,660 | Zulu |
| La Mercy | 599016 | 27.73 | 2,779 | English |
| Lower Molweni | 599106 | 2.86 | 1,729 | Zulu |
| Luganda | 599157 | 2.7 | 6,165 | Zulu |
| Luthele | 599059 | 0.32 | 864 | Zulu |
| Luthuli | 599129 | 0.94 | 1,222 | Zulu |
| Mabedlane A | 599032 | 1.55 | 380 | Zulu |
| Mabedlane B | 599031 | 5.13 | 2,768 | Zulu |
| Mabedlane C | 599067 | 3.57 | 3,168 | Zulu |
| Mabedlane D | 599068 | 3.06 | 1,380 | Zulu |
| Mabedlane E | 599070 | 0.86 | 842 | Zulu |
| Madudubala | 599191 | 11.33 | 3,580 | Zulu |
| Madundube | 599169 | 57.93 | 13,731 | Zulu |
| Madwaleni | 599085 | 0.6 | 1,041 | Zulu |
| Magabeni | 599192 | 1.74 | 4,928 | Zulu |
| Mahlabathini | 599028 | 16.13 | 4,111 | Zulu |
| Malagazi | 599174 | 4.82 | 29,651 | Zulu |
| Malukazi | 599175 | 3.38 | 19,520 | Zulu |
| Mandlakazi B | 599130 | 0.55 | 399 | Zulu |
| Maromeni | 599042 | 1.09 | 1,774 | Zulu |
| Matabetule | 599038 | 22.27 | 13,247 | Zulu |
| Mawothi | 599035 | 15.2 | 75,050 | Zulu |
| Mgandeni | 599009 | 15.01 | 2,649 | Zulu |
| Mgangeni | 599027 | 36.88 | 17,108 | Zulu |
| Mgezanyoni | 599008 | 3.89 | 221 | Zulu |
| Mkholombe | 599076 | 3.32 | 2,072 | Zulu |
| Mlahlanja | 599022 | 7.45 | 1,192 | Zulu |
| Mngcweni | 599091 | 1.78 | 1,137 | Zulu |
| Molweni | 599061 | 1.04 | 4,580 | Zulu |
| Molweni A | 599065 | 0.55 | 1,302 | Zulu |
| Molweni B | 599043 | 1.68 | 247 | Zulu |
| Molweni C | 599103 | 1.06 | 1,009 | Zulu |
| Molweni D | 599107 | 0.45 | 70 | Zulu |
| Mophela | 599135 | 8.23 | 5,517 | Zulu |
| Motalabad | 599108 | 0.49 | 105 | Zulu |
| Mount Edgecombe | 599052 | 8.34 | 7,323 | English |
| Mount Moreland | 599017 | 0.85 | 241 | English |
| Moya | 599122 | 0.32 | 744 | Zulu |
| Mpola A | 599138 | 1.89 | 8,465 | Zulu |
| Mpola B | 599151 | 0.43 | 311 | English |
| Mpuma | 599084 | 2.01 | 4,100 | Zulu |
| Mpumalanga | 599123 | 21.66 | 62,406 | Zulu |
| Mshazi | 599029 | 7.08 | 3,873 | Zulu |
| Mshazi Skhambane | 599030 | 4.59 | 1,333 | Zulu |
| Msunduzi | 599046 | 3.62 | 6,058 | Zulu |
| New Glasgow | 599020 | 4.78 | 2,101 | Zulu |
| Newlands East | 599111 | 14.81 | 52,566 | Zulu |
| Newlands West | 599112 | 13.33 | 50,627 | Zulu |
| Ngqungqulu | 599062 | 0.45 | 678 | Zulu |
| Nkangala | 599060 | 0.76 | 1,806 | Zulu |
| Nkomokazi | 599168 | 22.42 | 596 | Zulu |
| Nonoti | 599045 | 1.16 | 1,839 | Zulu |
| Nqobane | 599153 | 4.77 | 1,758 | Zulu |
| Ntongela | 599080 | 1.81 | 1,137 | Zulu |
| Ntshongweni A | 599127 | 0.61 | 568 | Zulu |
| Ntshongweni B | 599144 | 3.41 | 132 | English |
| Ntukuso | 599048 | 3.81 | 3,446 | Zulu |
| Ntuzuma | 599056 | 17.82 | 125,394 | Zulu |
| Nungwane | 599181 | 34.29 | 7,518 | Zulu |
| Ocean Drive-In | 599018 | 0.21 | 1,085 | Zulu |
| Olwambeni | 599154 | 9.48 | 1,590 | Zulu |
| Outer West Durban | 599099 | 30.21 | 7,408 | English |
| Palmcliffe | 599197 | 0.8 | 264 | English |
| Panekeni | 599083 | 0.65 | 2,567 | English |
| Phoenix | 599051 | 30.16 | 176,989 | English |
| Phola Mission | 599039 | 2.98 | 7,320 | Zulu |
| Pinetown | 599116 | 8.15 | 144,026 | Zulu |
| Qhodela | 599024 | 32.23 | 2,127 | Zulu |
| Queensburgh | 599160 | 22.88 | 54,846 | English |
| Redcliffe | 599033 | 13.28 | 14,220 | Zulu |
| Rietvallei | 599090 | 0.63 | 1,568 | Zulu |
| Roseneath | 599193 | 2.96 | 3,730 | Zulu |
| Salem | 599143 | 0.39 | 781 | Zulu |
| Sankontshe | 599119 | 4.49 | 6,634 | Zulu |
| Senzokuhle | 599010 | 25.07 | 7,141 | Zulu |
| Seventeen | 599131 | 2.24 | 1,876 | Zulu |
| Sgubudwini | 599152 | 2.97 | 1,592 | Zulu |
| Shongweni | 599148 | 0.97 | 24 | Zulu |
| Sithumba | 599079 | 2.89 | 2,247 | Zulu |
| Siweni | 599047 | 4.44 | 3,868 | Zulu |
| Siyanda | 599110 | 1.02 | 13,393 | Zulu |
| St. Lawrence | 599072 | 2.48 | 2,081 | Zulu |
| Thandaza | 599121 | 0.74 | 3,398 | Zulu |
| Thornwood | 599150 | 0.33 | 1,608 | Zulu |
| Thusumuntu | 599075 | 3.89 | 1,255 | Zulu |
| Tin Town | 599104 | 0.28 | 882 | Zulu |
| Tongaat | 599002 | 11.72 | 42,554 | English |
| Tongaat Beach | 599014 | 0.72 | 722 | English |
| Tshelimnyama | 599137 | 4.14 | 20,689 | Zulu |
| Umbhayi | 599005 | 0.34 | 1,845 | Xhosa |
| Umbumbulu | 599170 | 23.72 | 2,684 | Zulu |
| uMdloti | 599049 | 1.59 | 1,778 | English |
| Umgababa South | 599171 | 6.23 | 10,814 | Zulu |
| Umgagaba | 599058 | 2.84 | 1,552 | Zulu |
| Umgeni | 599026 | 8.82 | 811 | Zulu |
| uMhlanga | 599053 | 16.75 | 24,238 | English |
| Umkomaas | 599196 | 6.14 | 2,716 | English |
| Umlazi | 599163 | 47.46 | 404,811 | Zulu |
| Umngeni | 599041 | 1.83 | 547 | Zulu |
| Umnini | 599189 | 25.47 | 17,416 | Zulu |
| Uthweba | 599094 | 4.07 | 3,351 | Zulu |
| Verulam | 599034 | 18.13 | 37,273 | English |
| Vulindlala | 599073 | 2.48 | 2,735 | Zulu |
| Waterfall | 599063 | 14.4 | 7,525 | English |
| Wathanga | 599132 | 1.71 | 2,983 | Zulu |
| Westbrook | 599012 | 1.58 | 1,526 | English |
| Westville | 599115 | 30.76 | 30,508 | English |
| Ximba | 599095 | 1.1 | 1,587 | Zulu |
| Zwelibomvu | 599145 | 20.88 | 8,887 | Zulu |

## Demographics

The following statistics are from the 2011 census.
| Language | Population | % |
| isiZulu | 2,140,294 | 62.82% |
| English | 912,173 | 26.77% |
| isiXhosa | 133,136 | 3.91% |
| Afrikaans | 58,688 | 1.72% |
| Other | 44,850 | 1.32% |
| isiNdebele | 38,380 | 1.13% |
| Sesotho | 30,878 | 0.91% |
| Setswana | 17,358 | 0.51% |
| Sign Language | 16,486 | 0.48% |
| Sepedi | 6,671 | 0.20% |
| siSwati | 2,651 | 0.08% |
| Xitsonga | 3,773 | 0.11% |
| TshiVenda | 1,737 | 0.05% |

### Gender

As of 2011.
| Gender | Population | % |
| Female | 1,759,955 | 51.13% |
| Male | 1,682,406 | 48.87% |

### Ethnic group

As of 2022
| Ethnic group | Population | % |
| Black African | 3,030,590 | 71.60% |
| Indian/Asian | 835,907 | 19.70% |
| White | 252,332 | 6.00% |
| Coloured | 104,369 | 2.50% |
| Other | 11,531 | 0.30% |

### Age

| Age | Population | % |
| 0–4 | 327,972 | 9.53% |
| 5–9 | 262,210 | 7.62% |
| 10–14 | 269,763 | 7.84% |
| 15–19 | 318,540 | 9.25% |
| 20–24 | 412,727 | 11.99% |
| 25–29 | 395,580 | 11.49% |
| 30–34 | 299,167 | 8.69% |
| 35–39 | 247,382 | 7.19% |
| 40–44 | 199,167 | 5.79% |
| 45–49 | 174,931 | 5.08% |
| 50–54 | 145,723 | 4.23% |
| 55–59 | 119,971 | 3.49% |
| 60–64 | 97,500 | 2.83% |
| 65–69 | 63,493 | 1.84% |
| 70–74 | 44,832 | 1.30% |
| 75–79 | 27,567 | 0.80% |
| 80–84 | 17,028 | 0.49% |
| 85–89 | 7,783 | 0.23% |
| 90–94 | 2,867 | 0.08% |
| 95–99 | 851 | 0.02% |
| over 100 | 972 | 0.03% |

## Politics

The municipal council consists of 222 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. 111 councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 111 wards, while the remaining 111 are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

### Election results

In the 2021 local government elections, the African National Congress lost their majority on the city council for the first time since the metro's establishment in 2000.
The following table shows the detailed results of the election.
eThekwini local election, 1 November 2021 :
| Party | Party | Votes | Votes | Votes | Votes | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Party | Ward | List | Total | % | Ward | List | Total |
| | African National Congress | 324,137 | 329,307 | 653,444 | 42.1% | 75 | 21 | 96 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 198,433 | 203,980 | 402,413 | 25.9% | 34 | 25 | 59 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 78,748 | 83,699 | 162,447 | 10.5% | 0 | 24 | 24 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 51,725 | 57,722 | 109,447 | 7.1% | 2 | 14 | 16 |
| | Independent candidates | 32,987 | – | 32,987 | 2.1% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | ActionSA | 11,663 | 18,201 | 29,864 | 1.9% | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| | Active Citizens Coalition | 8,025 | 6,239 | 14,264 | 0.9% | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 6,022 | 5,893 | 11,915 | 0.8% | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 5,866 | 4,998 | 10,864 | 0.7% | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Independent Congress | 2,524 | 7,809 | 10,333 | 0.7% | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Transformation Movement | 5,131 | 4,418 | 9,549 | 0.6% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Justice and Employment Party | 3,959 | 4,763 | 8,722 | 0.6% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Democratic Liberal Congress | 4,739 | 3,439 | 8,178 | 0.5% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Democratic Change | 4,328 | 3,507 | 7,835 | 0.5% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Minority Front | 3,661 | 3,900 | 7,561 | 0.5% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | United Independent Movement | 2,919 | 2,895 | 5,814 | 0.4% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Minorities of South Africa | 3,084 | 2,226 | 5,310 | 0.3% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | National Freedom Party | 2,493 | 2,782 | 5,275 | 0.3% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | People's Revolutionary Movement | 1,903 | 2,184 | 4,087 | 0.3% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Freedom Front Plus | 1,954 | 2,021 | 3,975 | 0.3% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Truly Alliance | 1,822 | 1,871 | 3,693 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | KZN Independence | 1,541 | 2,127 | 3,668 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | People's Freedom Party | 2,058 | 1,558 | 3,616 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | African People First | 829 | 2,171 | 3,000 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Al Jama-ah | 1,578 | 1,368 | 2,946 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Independent People's Party | 848 | 1,906 | 2,754 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 993 | 1,522 | 2,515 | 0.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Cape Coloured Congress | 2,282 | – | 2,282 | 0.1% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | Good | 1,192 | 1,071 | 2,263 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Convention | 1,193 | 962 | 2,155 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Pan Africanist Congress of Azania | 899 | 990 | 1,889 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Activists Movement of South Africa | 917 | 603 | 1,520 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Freedom Revolution | 621 | 823 | 1,444 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Mantungwa Community | 531 | 646 | 1,177 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Black First Land First | 376 | 728 | 1,104 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Congress of the People | 182 | 898 | 1,080 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Christian Democratic Party | 374 | 626 | 1,000 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Advanced Dynamic Alliance | 486 | 481 | 967 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Forum for Service Delivery | 247 | 521 | 768 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Allied Movement for Change | 510 | 251 | 761 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | The Organic Humanity Movement | 323 | 408 | 731 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Academic Congress Union | 289 | 379 | 668 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Democratic People's Congress | 290 | 343 | 633 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African People's Movement | 285 | 298 | 583 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Africa Restoration Alliance | 352 | 203 | 555 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Azanian People's Organisation | 291 | 260 | 551 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | God Save Africa | 168 | 376 | 544 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | United Cultural Movement | 119 | 294 | 413 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Federal Convention | 64 | 323 | 387 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | International Party | 19 | 364 | 383 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | African Basic Republicans | – | 207 | 207 | 0.0% | – | 0 | 0 |
| | Spectrum National Party | 19 | 175 | 194 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Federal Party SA | 12 | – | 12 | 0.0% | 0 | – | 0 |
| | Land Party | 4 | – | 4 | 0.0% | 0 | – | 0 |
| Total | Total | 776,015 | 774,736 | 1,550,751 | | 111 | 111 | 222 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 776,015 | 774,736 | 1,550,751 | 97.9% |
| Spoilt votes | Spoilt votes | 14,555 | 18,841 | 33,396 | 2.1% |
| Total votes cast | Total votes cast | 790,570 | 793,577 | 1,584,147 | |
| Voter turnout | Voter turnout | 804,545 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 1,909,125 |
| Turnout percentage | Turnout percentage | 42.1% |