According to a 2011 census, the uMgungundlovu District Municipality has a population of 1,017,763, 52.26% of which are female and 47.74% Male (Lehohla, 2011:53). The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of uMgungundlovu District Municipality states that there are three main factors that define the population of the uMgungundlovu Municipal District (uMgungundlovu District Municipality, 2013:88):
The youth (15-24) within uMgungundlovu District Municipality accounts for 21.3% of the entire population. This implies that half of the municipality’s population is dependent on state subsidies for health care, education and their general welfare. The IDP of uMgungundlovu District Municipality credits these figures to not only a high population growth rate but also to a low life expectancy rate as the population declines by 40% by the age of 55. This may be due to the effects of extra ordinary factors such as HIV/ AIDS and a lack of access to health care services.
Of the population, 36.3% is recognised as part of the working population.
The gender structure indicates that the majority of households are female headed. In most cases female headed households are reliant on a single income which is generally lower than that of what would be obtained by a male employee (Bob, 2002:28). There are however more males below the age of forty. The male population decreases by 18%
between the ages of 30 and 40 due to the high mortality rate associated with HIV/AIDS and the movement of men out of the district in search of employment opportunities.
Challenging circumstances coupled with other vulnerabilities add to the poverty and insecurity within the uMgungundlovu area. Barnabus et al. (2005:19) found that the vulnerabilities that small-scale rural farmers faced were dependent on each other in that the increased intensity of one of these vulnerabilities could lead to the intensification of the others. In the rural parts of the midlands there is a lack of employment opportunities and thus income. A socio-economic survey done by the Agricultural Development Agency, showed that in the Middelrus area the level of unemployment is over 40% and average income levels were below ZAR2,000 ($165 US) per month (Agricultural Development Agency, 2011:3). The lack of income inhibits farmers from being able to plan for their future even on a short term basis and from being able
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to grow as they are reliant on state funding such as social grants to provide food security to their household (Barnabus et al., 2005:19). Food insecurity can result in poor nutrition which in turn can result in sickness or even disease due to a lack of access to water, sanitation and social services, particularly health care and education services which intensifies the vulnerability of locals (Barnabus et al., 2005:19). Within the district, the Msunduzi local municipality has the highest percentage of electricity and water service connections whereas all rural areas have no formal refuse service. (uMgungundlovu District Municipality, 2009:40).
A lack of access to educational facilities cripples the ability of future generations from improving this situation and results in most cases in individuals indulging in crime and alcohol.
Adding to food insecurity and the vulnerability of uMgungundlovu District Municipality households is the threat of theft of livestock. KwaZulu-Natal police estimate that within the year to end March 2007, ZAR 554m ($46,000,000 US) worth of livestock in the form of cattle, sheep and goats were stolen from South African farmers (KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison, 2008:10). Within the Midlands 5889 cattle and 2765 goats were stolen (KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison: 2008:11).These figures however are not reliable as most theft incidences in rural areas are not reported and in some cases reported unofficially to the Amakhosi (traditional leader) (KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison: 2008:11). The uMgungundlovu District Municipality sector has experienced a decline in investments over the last few years due to the slow pace of land claims in the land transformation process initiated by post-apartheid policies therefore creating an unstable and vulnerable investment environment (uMgungundlovu District Municipality, 2009:30).
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Figure 3. 3. KwaZulu-Natal Midlands (Lorens, 2007: 481).
Thirty four percent of the Midlands Meander is considered to be arable, with 20% having high potential agricultural soil (Mkhabela and Materechera, 2003:152). One of the most threatened vegetation types in KwaZulu-Natal is the Midlands Mistbelt Grassland (Ferraz, 2000:42). The Midlands Mistbelt Grassland is a hilly grassland dominated by forb rich, tall, sour Themeda triandra (redgrass) grassland in its pristine state (Ferraz, 2000:42). However as a result of intensive agricultural practices, native Aristida junctiformis (Ngongoni grass) has transformed the area (Ferraz, 2000:42). The invasion of Ngongoni grass reduces agricultural productivity drastically in that livestock need to search in between ngongoni tuffs for suitable forage species (Tainton and Camp, 1999). Natural occurring forestry is sparse within the Midlands regions largely due to the success of the commercial forestry industry (Figure 3.4). The areas of forestry are currently found on cool damp southern slopes and fire refuge sites (Tainton and Camp, 1999). These sites are made up of the mainly exotic species such as Acacia species (spp).,
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Eucalyptus spp and the American bramble (Ferraz, 2000:42). Most of the Midlands have the potential to develop into evergreen forest due to the moist climate however due to defoliation of fires, grasslands have continued to thrive over the years (Tainton and Camp, 1999).
Figure 3. 4. Land use activities within uMgungundlovu District Municipality (uMgungundlovu District Municipality, 2013: 121).