| Ubuhlebezwe | |
| Settlement Type: | Local municipality |
| Seal Size: | 150x100px |
| Map Alt: | Location in KwaZulu-Natal |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Harry Gwala District |
| Seat: | Ixopo |
| Parts Type: | Wards |
| Parts: | 14 |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Government Type: | Municipal council |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | E.B. Ngubo |
| Area Total Km2: | 1604 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 101691 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 97.5% |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 1.2% |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 0.4% |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 0.8% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [3] |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 91.6% |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 3.1% |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 1.6% |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 1.3% |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 2.4% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Municipal code |
| Blank Info Sec1: | KZN434 |
Ubuhlebezwe Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala wase Ubuhlebezwe) is a local municipality within the Harry Gwala District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Zulu: Ubuhlebezwe is an isiZulu word meaning "the beauty of the land". The name is derived from Alan Paton's novel, Cry, The Beloved Country.[4]
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[5]
| Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55101 | 40.53 | 4,726 | ||
| 55102 | 19.13 | 3,532 | ||
| 55103 | 47.70 | 2,666 | ||
| 55104 | 48.56 | 12,316 | ||
| 55105 | 6.24 | 8,434 | ||
| 55106 | 10.23 | 751 | ||
| 55107 | 72.47 | 12,580 | ||
| 55108 | 33.78 | 4,063 | ||
| 55109 | 85.96 | 11,476 | ||
| 55111 | 20.04 | 10,208 | ||
| 55112 | 55.92 | 9,804 | ||
| 55113 | 94.13 | 4,524 | ||
| Remainder of the municipality | 55110 | 1,091.78 | 16,873 |
See main article: Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality elections. The municipal council consists of twenty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fourteen wards, while the remaining thirteen 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 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of eighteen seats on the council.The following table shows the results of the election.[6]