# Msunduzi Local Municipality

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.
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.
The city of Pietermaritzburg is a provincial and national centre of education. 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.

## 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.
| Party | Party | Ward | Ward | Ward | List | List | List | Total seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Total seats |
| | African National Congress | 74,238 | 47.16 | 29 | 77,703 | 49.48 | 11 | 40 |
| | Democratic Alliance | 30,074 | 19.10 | 10 | 30,697 | 19.55 | 6 | 16 |
| | Economic Freedom Fighters | 18,262 | 11.60 | 0 | 18,673 | 11.89 | 10 | 10 |
| | Inkatha Freedom Party | 13,271 | 8.43 | 1 | 15,270 | 9.72 | 7 | 8 |
| | Independent candidates | 7,716 | 4.90 | 1 | | | | 1 |
| | Abantu Batho Congress | 2,914 | 1.85 | 0 | 2,614 | 1.66 | 2 | 2 |
| | African Independent Congress | 1,793 | 1.14 | 0 | 1,728 | 1.10 | 1 | 1 |
| | Patriotic Alliance | 1,537 | 0.98 | 0 | 1,454 | 0.93 | 1 | 1 |
| | African Christian Democratic Party | 1,006 | 0.64 | 0 | 1,159 | 0.74 | 1 | 1 |
| | Justice and Employment Party | 803 | 0.51 | 0 | 1,111 | 0.71 | 1 | 1 |
| | 18 other parties | 5,814 | 3.69 | 0 | 6,628 | 4.22 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 157,428 | 100.00 | 41 | 157,037 | 100.00 | 40 | 81 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 157,428 | 97.78 | | 157,037 | 97.10 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 3,570 | 2.22 | | 4,697 | 2.90 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 160,998 | 100.00 | | 161,734 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 339,257 | 47.46 | | 339,257 | 47.67 | | |

### Mayors

* Hloni Glenford Zondi, 2000-2006
* Zanele Hlatshwayo, 2006-2010
* Mike Tarr, May 2010-2011
* Chris Ndlela, 2011-2016
* Themba Njilo, 2016–August 2019
* Mzimkhulu Thebolla, August 2019-present

## 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.
The municipality is struggling to collect revenue, with an estimated 25000 illegal electricity connections.
In September 2023, R33 million was reported missing from a pension fund for retiring employees.

## 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.

## Main places

The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:
| Place | Code | Area (km$^2$) | Population |
| Ashdown | 51101 | 3.03 | 13,531 |
| Edendale | 51102 | 50.53 | 79,573 |
| Imbali | 51103 | 23.40 | 79,115 |
| Inadi | 51104 | 87.25 | 34,131 |
| Mafunze | 51105 | 60.55 | 36,186 |
| Mpumuza | 51106 | 97.56 | 55,260 |
| Nxamalala | 51108 | 12.94 | 14,417 |
| Pietermaritzburg | 51109 | 160.99 | 223,519 |
| Sobantu | 51110 | 1.07 | 8,155 |
| Wilgerfontein | 51111 | 0.43 | 1,073 |
| Ximba | 51112 | 5.51 | 2,947 |
| Remainder of the municipality | 51107 | 144.53 | 5,315 |