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HARRY GWALA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

www.harrygwaladm.gov.za
Well Located
Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality is well located from
a regional perspective within southern KwaZulu-Natal
between Pietermaritzburg, Kokstad and the Eastern
Cape. The seat of the Harry Gwala District Council is the
town of Ixopo, which is located approximately 85km
south east of Pietermaritzburg, capital of KwaZulu-
Natal. Ixopo forms the primary development node
of the municipality. Ixopo plays an important role in
terms of the possible location for industry, commerce
STRATEGICALLY LOCATED and other economic activity. The town is a major
education and health centre and assists in the diffusion
Harry Gwala District Municipality includes the of new ideas and technologies to the rural areas.
southernmost part of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg
National Park adjacent to Lesotho and borders the Many government departments and essential service
Eastern Cape Province in the west. Harry Gwala providers are also based here.
comprises four local municipalities: Dr Nkosazana Largest Local Municipality
Dlamini-Zuma, Umzimkhulu, Greater Kokstad and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Local Municipality is the
Ubuhlebezwe. largest municipality within the district, constituting
Ingonyama Trust land makes up a large proportion of 35% of the area. The local municipality fulfils the
the municipality and includes several tribal authorities’ role of being the administrative and commercial
areas of administration. centre for the district. Much of the municipal area
consists of tribal lands, which dominate the area. The
Harry Gwala is well endowed with natural resources municipality is known for the World Heritage Site of
and has vast potential for the development of its uKhahlamba, which brings local and foreign tourists to
foremost economic sectors namely agriculture and this mountainous area. The relatively unspoilt natural
tourism. The district has an abundance of high quality environment has high eco-tourism and adventure
soils, high altitude, water, and climatic extremes. tourism potential. Greater tourism diversity could
Commercial farms and a large extent of commercial be achieved through a wider range of facilities and
plantations form the bedrock of the economy of the attractions including historical, cultural events and eco-
region. A significant portion of dairy consumed in tourism adventures.
KwaZulu-Natal is produced within the district.
Subsistence Living
Service Centre and Commercial Hub
Umzimkhulu Local Municipality neighbours Ugu
The town of Kokstad in the Greater Kokstad District in the east, Msunduzi in the north, Lesotho
Municipality is strategically located on the N2 in the east and the Eastern Cape in the south. Of the
Development Corridor, which is the main transport population, about 90,8% reside in rural areas, while the
arterial linking KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. remaining 9,2% are urban based. While development
The town serves as the service centre and commercial projects are centred on infrastructure and service
hub for most of East Griqualand and much of the delivery, backlogs remain vast with respect to water,
Eastern Cape. Kokstad has the potential to re-align the sanitation and electricity provision.
district into a competitive and attractive investment Currently agriculture comprises cattle (red meat
destination. The municipality has an abundance of and dairy), poultry, wool, maize, sugar cane, citrus,
unique and attractive natural, cultural resources and vegetables and timber. Much of the farming operations
open space amenities that could be used to enhance are at subsistence level, despite the potential for
the local economy. commercial-scale ventures.

CONTACT DETAILS Tel: +27 (0)39 834 8600/ 8700
Physical Address: 40 Main Street, Ixopo, 3276 Fax: +27 (0)39 834 1750
Postal Address: Private Bag X501, Ixopo, 3276 Website: www.harrygwaladm.gov.za
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