Page 56 - KZN Top Business Portfolio 2018

HARRY GWALA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

Mayor: Cllr ME Ndobe
www.harrygwaladm.gov.za
Eastern Cape. Kokstad has the potential to re-align the
STRATEGICALLY LOCATED
district into a competitive and attractive investment
Harry Gwala District Municipality is named after destination and has the potential to become a major
Communist Party and African National Congress logistics hub for the region. The municipality has an
apartheid struggle stalwart, Harry Gwala. abundance of unique and attractive natural, cultural
resources and open space amenities that could be
The district municipality includes the southernmost used to enhance the local economy.
part of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg National Park
adjacent to Lesotho and borders the Eastern Cape Well Located
Province in the west. Harry Gwala comprises four
local municipalities: Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality is well located from
Umzimkhulu, Greater Kokstad and Ubuhlebezwe. a regional perspective within southern KwaZulu-
Ingonyama Trust land makes up a large proportion of Natal between Pietermaritzburg, Kokstad and the
the municipality and includes several tribal authorities’ Eastern Cape. The seat of the Harry Gwala District
areas of administration. Council is the town of Ixopo, which is located
approximately 85km south east of Pietermaritzburg,
Harry Gwala is well endowed with natural resources capital of KwaZulu-Natal. Ixopo forms the primary
and has vast potential for the development of its development node of the municipality. The impor-
foremost economic sectors namely agriculture and tance of Ixopo cannot be underestimated in the
tourism. The district municipality has an abundance socio-economic development of the area. Ixopo
of high quality soils, high altitude, water, and climatic plays an important role in terms of the possible
extremes. Commercial farms and a large extent of location for industry, commerce and other economic
commercial plantations form the bedrock of the activity. The town is a major education and health
economy of the region. A significant portion of dairy centre and assists in the diffusion of new ideas and
consumed in KwaZulu-Natal is produced within the technologies to the rural areas. Many government
district. In addition, Harry Gwala is known for its departments and essential service providers are
progressive farming methods. also based here.
The district is coordinating several local economic Largest Local Municipality
development programmes together with various Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Local Municipality is the
sector government departments to assist in trying to largest municipality within the district, constituting
push back the frontiers of poverty and to address the 35% of the area. The local municipality fulfils the
needs of women and youth. role of being the administrative and commercial
Service Centre and Commercial Hub centre for the district. Much of the municipal area
consists of tribal lands, which dominate the area. The
The town of Kokstad in the Greater Kokstad municipality is known for the World Heritage Site of
Municipality is strategically located on the N2 uKhahlamba, which brings local and foreign tourists to
Development Corridor, which is the main transport this mountainous area. The relatively unspoilt natural
arterial linking KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. environment has high eco-tourism and adventure
The town serves as the service centre and commercial tourism potential. Greater tourism diversity could
hub for most of East Griqualand and much of the be achieved through a wider range of facilities and

54