Page 72 - KZN Top Business Portfolio 2018

UTHUKELA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

Mayor: Municipal Manager:
Cllr AS Mazibuko Mr Sifiso Kunene
www.uthukeladm.co.za
Ladysmith serves as a major shopping centre for towns
AN IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL
such as Colenso, Glencoe, Bergville and Dundee.
The uThukela District Municipality, the soul of the Ladysmith boasts a strong and diverse manufacturing
Zulu Kingdom, is a region that has abundant natural base offering several industrial areas, the largest
resources and opportunities. uThukela is located on the being the Ithala Industrial Estate a short distance
western boundary of the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
from the CBD.
The district comprises the three local municipalities of Due to its proximity to the N3 and N11 highways,
Alfred Duma, Inkosi Langalibalele and Okhahlamba.
the rural area benefits from a network of provincial
The uThukela District Municipality has a strong and district roads. The municipality is committed to
district council that has performed an important ensure the efficient delivery of basic infrastructure
developmental and administrative role in the region. and services, and the development of new, and key,
Investment into infrastructure and services such commercial wellsprings.
as water, sports fields, community halls, roads and Beautiful Mountain Landscapes
crèches has benefited many rural communities.
Okhahlamba Municipality is situated in the mountainous
The uThukela District is regarded as having good region of KwaZulu-Natal between Lesotho, the Free
potential agricultural land, with the commercial farming State, Emnambithi and Mtshezi. Okhahlamba is
sector being dominated by forestry plantations and made up of privately owned commercial farmland,
field crops, such as maize, dry beans and potatoes. smallholder settlements, the urban areas of Bergville,
Livestock production mainly focuses on beef, dairy Winterton, Cathkin Park, Geluksberg, and two tribal
and sheep. authority areas.
The inherent beauty of the area enhances the tourism Bergville is described as the gateway to the tourism
opportunities in the district. Tourist destinations include mecca of the Drakensberg. Some of the most
the scenic Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Mountains where picturesque holiday resorts, like Catkin Peak, Cathedral
approximately half a million tourists a year are attracted Peak, Champagne Castle, Oliviershoek, and Rugged
to the scenic Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site and Glen Nature Reserve Spioenkop’s historical site,
historic battlefields. lakeside resort and dam run by KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife
The uThukela River, which rises from the Drakensberg are all situated close to the town. Approximately half
Mountains, supplies water to a large portion of a million tourists are attracted to the Drakensberg
KwaZulu-Natal, as well as Gauteng. annually from as far afield as the United Kingdom,
Germany, France, Holland and North America, as
Primary Urban Area
well as domestic tourists primarily from Gauteng and
Alfred Duma Municipality’s main urban areas are KwaZulu-Natal. In addition, a considerable number of
Ladysmith, Ezakheni, Steadville and Colenso/ day visitors and hikers pass through the area. As such,
Nkanyezi. Ladysmith, the seat of uThukela District it is one of the major sources of income generation
is the primary urban area and is centrally located within the tourism industry as the foreign spending
with respect to important corridor development in the area contributes significantly to the economy.
and transport routes in the region, which increases It also plays a significant role regarding where people
the economic opportunities in and around the town. have settled.

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