Ulundi Local Municipality
Ulundi Local Municipality is a local municipality located on the southern boundary of the Zululand District Municipality in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is a mainly rural municipality that encompasses the town of Ulundi.
Population characteristics
Recent surveys have identified the following characteristics of the municipality's population:More than half the population is younger than 19 years of age, placing pressure on the need for social facilities. A significant number of these children will be orphaned due to HIV/AIDS.
At least 12% of the population are already infected with HIV/AIDS. Population growth is expected to decline over the next 20 years.
Education levels are very low; 29% of the population has no formal education.
Income levels are very low; nearly 40% of households have no income. Unemployment levels are very high, with only 12.5% of the total population being formally employed.
The population is predominantly Zulu in ethnicity and culture.
Places of interest
The tourism potential of the area remains largely undeveloped; however, the area features a number of activities and places of interest. These include game reserves, historical/cultural sites, cultural events and guest lodges. Game reserves include the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Parks, the Ophathe Game Park, the Emakhosini, the planned Emakhosini-Ophathe Conservancy, and the ThakaZulu Game Reserve. Historical/cultural sites include Nodwengu, Ulundi Battlefield, Amafa and Dingaan Stat/Piet Retief’s grave.Main places
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:| Place | Code | Area | Population |
| Babanango | 6.54 | 1,297 | |
| Buthelezi Empithimpithini | 464.49 | 49,553 | |
| Inhlazatshe | 13.60 | 1,214 | |
| Kwazunyawo | 5.91 | 1,298 | |
| Mahlabatini | 8.21 | 2,342 | |
| Mbatha | 124.05 | 9,954 | |
| Mpungose | 158.64 | 27,726 | |
| Ndebele | 93.44 | 14,799 | |
| Nobamba | 684.56 | 41,286 | |
| Simelane | 3.48 | 501 | |
| Ulundi | 10.27 | 18,420 | |
| Ximba | 298.34 | 19,330 | |
| Zungu | 321.98 | 17,228 | |
| Remainder of the municipality | 1,561.36 | 8,017 |
Politics
The municipal council consists of forty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Twenty-four councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in twenty-four wards, while the remaining twenty-three 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 3 August 2016 the Inkatha Freedom Party won a majority of thirty-five seats on the council.The following table shows the results of the election.