Hlabisa Municipality is one of the local Municipalities under Umkhanyakude district in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The municipality was named after the surname, Hlabisa, of two Nkosi's in the area. The municipality is generally characterised by rural communities predominantly under traditional areas. 91% of land was under traditional authority, 3% commercial farmland and 6% urban. The major town is Hlabisa, with secondary nodes of Mpembeni, Zibayeni and Ezibayeni.read more »
Mtubatuba is one of the five municipalities within Umkhanyakude District Municipality in KwaZulu Natal. Mtubatuba was named after the inkosi Mtubatuba of the Mkhwanazi Clan. It is situated on the north-east coast of the province, and was home to 175 425 people. Covering an area of approximately 1970km² Mtubatuba Municipality was one of the most urbanised municipality within the district, with 15% of the municipality falling under urban areas.
The two main town areas are Mtubatuba and St Lucia. The vast majority of the municipality was under traditional authority - almost 80% - indicating a high proportion of people residing in scattered, rural villages under the jurisdiction of traditional authorities. The Isimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site falls under Matubatuba.read more »
The Ntambanana Municipality is located in Bhuchanana North, in the eastern part of the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast; it is set amongst rising and falling green hills that rise from coastal plains in the east to the end of the plateau in the west.
read more »uMlalazi Local Municipality is made up of the towns of Eshowe, Mtunzini, and Gingindlovu. The villages of Amatikulu and Ntumeni, together with considerable rural hinterland, cover one of the largest geographical areas of all municipalities in South Africa, with a total area of 2 217 km2.
The municipal area is dominated by tribal areas, and 14 Tribal Authorities exist within the area (uMlalazi municipality website). The area appears to have sufficient sources for the provision of water. A complicating factor is the undulating topography, which is characteristic of the entire municipal area. In some instances it is therefore difficult and expensive to provide these services. Arterial roads through the area are in good condition. In practically all instances district roads and farm roads are in poor condition and in need of upgrading.read more »
In 1887, when the British government annexed Zululand, they established several magisterial districts. One district was Mthonjaneni, and the centre of the district was what is known today as Melmoth, named after Sir Melmoth Osborn, the first British Chief Native Commissioner for Zululand. Melmoth was essentially a 'gold rush town'.
At the turn of the century, gold was mined at the Melmoth Gold Fields, five kilometers out of town, but this was a short-term venture. Deserted diggings can still be found in some areas.
(Source: www.melmoth.co.za).
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