| uMhlathuze | |
| 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: | King Cetshwayo |
| Seat: | Richards Bay |
| Parts Type: | Wards |
| Parts: | 30 |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Government Type: | Municipal council |
| Leader Party: | IFP |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Xolani Ngwezi[2] |
| Leader Title1: | Deputy Mayor |
| Leader Name1: | Christo Botha[3] (DA) |
| Area Total Km2: | 793 |
| Population Footnotes: | [4] |
| Population Total: | 412,075 |
| Population As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup |
| Demographics1 Footnotes: | [5] |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 87.7% |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 0.9% |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 3.7% |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 7.5% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [6] |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 61.3% |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 19.7% |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 15.1% |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 1.2% |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 2.7% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Municipal code |
| Blank Info Sec1: | KZN282 |
uMhlathuze Local Municipality is an administrative area in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The municipality is named after the Mhlatuze River.[7]
The municipality was enlarged at the time of the South African municipal election, 2016 when part of the disbanded Ntambanana Local Municipality was merged into it.[8]
The 2024 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[9]
| Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53801 | 12.82 | 4,654 | ||
| 53802 | 53.95 | 52,239 | ||
| 53803 | 14.00 | 13,306 | ||
| 53804 | 5.90 | 32,437 | ||
| 53805 | 14.32 | 24,172 | ||
| 53806 | 56.58 | 117 | ||
| 53807 | 66.29 | 22,758 | ||
| 53808 | 31.86 | 25,780 | ||
| 53809 | 1.30 | 8,873 | ||
| Richards Bay Part 1 | 53810 | 75.80 | 30,605 | |
| Richards Bay Part 2 | 53811 | 0.42 | 382 | |
| Richards Bay Part 3 | 53812 | 21.19 | 13,865 | |
| 53814 | 27.89 | 347 | ||
| 53815 | 2.44 | 4,044 | ||
| 53816 | 71.06 | 48,977 | ||
| Remainder of the municipality | 53813 | 339.73 | 6,630 |
See main article: uMhlathuze Local Municipality elections. The municipal council consists of sixty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Thirty-four councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-four wards, while the remaining thirty-three are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
In the 2021 South African municipal elections the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, winning a plurality of twenty-seven seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.[10]
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period from the election in November 2021.
The by-election took place after the African National Congress (ANC) representative, facing community pressure, resigned. With the victory, the Inkatha Freedom Party solidified its coalition hold on council.[12]