Mthatha
Quick Fact ......
96,114
29,593
27%
56,1%
87,1%
88,9%
Mthatha carries the same name as the river that flows through the town. The town itself was previously known as Umtata, and was the capital city of the bantustan Transkei, from 1976 to 1994. In March 2004 it was officially renamed to Mthatha.
A number of explanations have been given for the meaning of the name: 'sneezewood river', after trees that grow on the river's banks; 'the seizer' or 'appropriator', after the many drowning's that have taken place in the river itself; 'river of the dead', from a custom of casting the dead into it; or 'nostril river', from the Xhosa word ithatha. (GPS coordinates: 31.5918 S, 28.7808 E).
Character(s) left.
Reference(s)
- Raper PE. 2004. New dictionary of South African Place Names. Jonathan Ball Publishers.
- http://www.wikipedia.org
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Key Statistics 2011
| Total population | 96,114 |
| Young (0-14) | 25,5% |
| Working Age (15-64) | 71,9% |
| Elderly (65+) | 2,6% |
| Dependency ratio | 39,1 |
| Sex ratio | 83,4 |
| Population density | 1748 persons/km2 |
| No schooling aged 20+ | 3% |
| Higher education aged 20+ | 27% |
| Matric aged 20+ | 30,4% |
| Number of households | 29,593 |
| Average household size | 2,8 |
| Female headed households | 55,8% |
| Formal dwellings | 89,7% |
| Housing owned/paying off | 31,6% |
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 88,9% |
| Weekly refuse removal | 83,1% |
| Piped water inside dwelling | 56,1% |
| Electricity for lighting | 87,1% |