RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.4 BRIEF PROFILE OF MUNICIPALITIES
This study involves metropolitan, districts and local municipalities from two different provinces, namely, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
90 4.5 KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE
South Africa is currently made up of nine Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal is one of them. The
‘provincial estimates showed that KwaZulu-Natal had the largest share of the South African population at 21 percent of the population, followed by Gauteng with 20, 2 percent and the Eastern Cape with 14 percent’ (South African Government Information, Online, 04 July 2012). KwaZulu-Natal has more than 10 million people living on 92 100 square kilometres of land (South African Government Information, Online, 04 July 2012). Of these, about 5,08 million people live under conditions of poverty and 74 % of these poor people are in rural areas (KwaZulu-Natal OTP; 2005: ii). The Province has eleven (11) District Municipalities and uMgungundlovu is one of them.
4.5.1 UMgungundlovu District Municipality
UMgungundlovu District Municipality has a total number of 872 717 residents (uMgungundlovu IDP, 2009) scattered in urban, semi-rural and rural residential areas.
Basically, all seven (7) local municipalities under uMgungundlovu District Municipality cover an area of approximately 8.5000 square kilometres and the majority of its 927 834 people speak Zulu (Census, 2001). The seven local municipalities under uMgungundlovu District Municipality are, Richmond Local Municipality; Impendle Local Municipality;
uMsunduzi Local Municipality; uMkhambathini Local Municipality; uMngeni Local Municipality, iMpofana Local Municipality; and uMshwathi Local Municipality. However, the focus will be on four municipalities under uMgungundlovu District Municipality. And those municipalities are uMsunduzi Local Municipality, uMngeni Local Municipality, uMshwati Local Municipality and uMkhambathini Local Municipality.
Ward councillors, women and men are preferred due to the small number of wards within the local municipalities under uMgungundlovu District Municipal Council.
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Figure 4.1: Map of KwaZulu-Natal District Municipalities
Source: Htonl (2012)
92 Figure 4.2: KwaZulu-Natal Municipalities
Source: KZN Top Business (2012)
4.5.1.1 Msunduzi Local Municipality
This local municipality extends over 649 square kilometres and comprise attributes of the urban and rural South Africa under its jurisdiction. The total population is estimated at 616.733. Msunduzi Local Municipality has the second largest city, called Pietermaritzburg which is also the capital city; and an urban centre in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (Msunduzi SDF Review, 2009). At the same time, one third of population reside in tribal areas where infrastructure improvement is urgently needed (Msunduzi Municipal Report 2007/8). Another reason is that women constitute 53% of the population (Msunduzi Municipality IDP 2006/11).
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The municipality has a total number of seventy three (73) councillors. There are thirty seven (37) wards under Msunduzi Municipality. During the 2011 local elections, eleven (11) females were elected as ward councillors. Proportional Representation councillors come from political parties such as the ANC, DA and IFP, Minority Front (MF), and the National Freedom Party (NFP). It must be noted that both men and women may have more information about female ward councillor issues and their influence in decision-making processes within the municipality.
4.5.1.2 UMngeni Local Municipality
This municipality is named after the river uMngeni which runs through the town of Howick.
The town which was established in the 1940’s offers superlative lifestyle and is famous for its Howick Falls and the Midmar Dam. The total population is approximately 84 783 and the municipality covers 1.567 square kilometres.
There are twelve (12) wards under uMngeni Municipality. Only four (4) women have been elected as ward councillors compared to their male counterparts which is eight (8) males.
However, more women have been elected as PR councillors which is ten (10) compared to two (2) male PR councillors. All the councillors represent only two political parties, the ANC and the DA.
4.5.1.3 UMkhambathini Local Municipality
The UMkhambathini Local Municipality located along the south eastern boundary of uMgungundlovu District Municipality and adjoins Richmond and Msunduzi Local Municipalities to the west, uMshwati to the north and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality to the east (Mkhambathini Municipality, 2012). It covers an area of approximately 917 square kilometres and is the second smallest municipality within uMgungundlovu District after Impendle Local Municipality. The total population is estimated at 46.566 people. It must be mentioned that Impendle and uMkhambathini Local Municipalities are the most rural in nature of all municipalities in the District. According to the Mkhambathini Municipality Report (2011) the population is slightly imbalanced with females outnumbering their male counterparts.
There are seven (7) wards under this municipality and there are fourteen (14) councillors in total. Political parties represented are coming from parties such as the ANC, NFP, DA and
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IFP. It must be noted that there are no female ward councillors at Mkhambathini Municipality. However, there is only one female PR councillors from the NFP.
4.5.2 EThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
EThekwini Municipality is a metropolitan municipal with an executive mayor based in Durban. Durban is the largest city in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal and is the third largest city in South Africa. The city of Durban has been called ‘the largest Indian city outside India’. However, eThekwini Municipality include other small towns around Durban. It is known for its warm and subtropical climate and extensive beaches. Furthermore, the Port of Durban is the busiest port in South Africa. The municipality extends over 2.297 square kilometres which comparatively larger than other cities in the country (EThekwini Municipality, 2012). The municipality is regarded as the economic hub of the Province with its international and local tourist attraction due to its hospitality industry and its Zulu speaking nation’s rich history. Its population is approximately more than 3.5 million.
Prior to 2011 local government elections, the municipality had 100 municipal wards. Due to political changes and demarcations, eThekwini municipality now has 103 wards. The total number of councillors is 205 with 105 serving as PR councillors. There are 138 males and 67 female councillors. It must be noted that there are more males elected as ward councillors then females. The males elected as wards councillors constitute 89 wards and females 14 wards. The females appointed as PR councillors are more than males at 53 and males at 49.
The political parties represented are the ANC with 126 councillors; DA 43; NFP 10; MF 11;
(Independent) IND 1; African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) 2; Congress of the People (COPE) 1; TA 1; APC 1; IFP 9.