| Mbhashe River | |
| Name Other: | Mbashe, Bashee |
| Name Etymology: | Referring either to 'dark river' or 'dangerous ravine' in the Xhosa language, or perhaps named after a person called 'Mbashe'[1] |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Mbashe River mouth |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type3: | Province |
| Subdivision Name3: | Eastern Cape Province |
| Source1: | Drakensberg |
| Source1 Location: | NE of Elliot, Eastern Cape |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1700m (5,600feet) |
| Mouth: | Indian Ocean |
| Mouth Location: | Bashee |
| Mouth Coordinates: | -32.25°N 82°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0m (00feet) |
| Basin Size: | 6030km2 |
Mbhashe River[2] is one of the major rivers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It flows in a southeastern direction and has a catchment area of 6,030 km.[3] The river drains into the Indian Ocean through an estuary located near the lighthouse at Bashee, south of Mhlanganisweni.[4]
After passing under national road N2, the Mbhashe River encounters southwest of Elliotdale and north-east of Dutywa the more rugged terrain of the Wild Coast and suddenly enters into a 64 km long series of violent twists and turns known as the Collywobbles before continuing more sedately towards the Indian Ocean.[5]
The Mbhashe river's main tributaries are the Xuka River, Mgwali River, Dutywa River and the Mnyolo River. Presently this river is part of the Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area.[6]
In 1554 Portuguese ship São Bento ran aground at the mouth of the Mbhashe River. The ordeal of 322 of its survivors, who walked from there to Lourenço Marques, presently Maputo, has been recorded.[7]
Mvezo is a village on the banks of the Mbhashe River, where Nelson Mandela was born in 1918.[8]
Some of the fishes caught in its waters are Labeobarbus aeneus, Barbus pallidus, Barbus anoplus, Myxus capensis, Anguilla marmorata and Anguilla mossambica. Labeobarbus aeneus is an invasive species, now widely present in the river system.[9]