Abaqulusi Local Municipality
Encyclopedia
AbaQulusi Local Municipality is a local municipality
in Zululand
in the KwaZulu-Natal
province of South Africa
.
Vryheid
is Zululand’s main commercial, industrial and business centre, with a reasonably well-developed physical, social and institutional infrastructure. It is located at the intersection of the major transport routes (R34
and R69
) that traverse the region.
Other towns and settlements within the municipal boundaries include: Alpha, Calvert, Emondlo, Esigodini, Gluckstadt, Hlobane, Kandaspunt, Lenjanedrif, Louwsburg
, Ngobeni, Ngome, Scheepersnek, Steilrand, Stilwater, Swart Umfolozi, Thakazele, and Zungwini.
The main nodal points of the AbaQulusi Municipal area are:
Products produced are timber, field crops and livestock. Current products farmed include maize, groundnuts, soya beans, sunflowers, fruits and sorghum.
Coal mining historically provided a major force in the local economy of Northern KwaZulu Natal. However, over the past 15 years a number of mines in the area ceased operation, negatively impacting the regional economy. The AbaQulusi Municipality was particularly affected by the closure of the Coronation, Mnyathi, and Hlobane mines in 1997 and 1998. Recently, the coal mining sector seems to have regained some momentum and it is coming back to dominate the economic sector.
Manufacturing in the municipal area includes food and beverages, clothing and textiles, leather products, paper and paper products, printing and publishing, metal products, machinery and equipment.
Wetlands of national importance abound in the district, with Blood River Vlei being the most important. Over 370 species of birds and many animals, reptiles, insects, amphibians and plants can be seen here, creating a significant potential for ecotourism
in the area.
province as a whole is estimated at 39%. As a result, without proper nutrition, health care and medicine that is available in developed countries, large numbers of people suffer and die from AIDS-related complications. In some areas, the epidemic has left behind many orphans cared for by elderly grandparents. HIV/AIDS also severely retards economic growth by destroying human capital
.
Education levels in the area are very low, with 22% of the population having no formal education. 60.15% of the population has some form of primary or secondary education, but only 2.54% have had any further education. Consequently, one of the key challenges facing AbaQulusi Municipality is a relatively high rate of functional illiteracy. This has a significant impact on employability, the type of job opportunities that can be sought and the vocational distribution of the economically active population. The urban centres within AbaQulusi present a slightly better picture with regard to education levels, but generally the skills base remains low.
Local municipality (South Africa)
In South Africa, a local municipality or Category B municipality is a type of municipality that serves as the third, and most local, tier of local government...
in Zululand
Zululand District Municipality
Zululand is one of the 11 district municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal province. The seat of Zululand is Ulundi. The majority of its 804,456 people speak IsiZulu . The district code is DC26...
in the KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Towns and settlements
63% of the population of the AbaQulusi municipal area live in rural areas, most of which live in scattered homesteads known as imizi in tribal areas. Homesteads are of a mixed nature, including both modern dwellings and traditional thatched huts. The remainder of the population lives as tenants on farm or in towns, dormitory townships and shacks in the settlements around towns.Vryheid
Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal
Vryheid is a coal mining and cattle ranching town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Vryheid is Afrikaans for "freedom" or "liberty".-History:...
is Zululand’s main commercial, industrial and business centre, with a reasonably well-developed physical, social and institutional infrastructure. It is located at the intersection of the major transport routes (R34
R34 (North West)
The R34 is a Regional Route in South Africa that connects Vryburg with Richards Bay via Kroonstad and Newcastle.-External links:*...
and R69
R69 (KwaZulu-Natal)
The R69 is a Regional Route in South Africa that connects Vryheid with Mkuze via Louwsburg.-External links:*...
) that traverse the region.
Other towns and settlements within the municipal boundaries include: Alpha, Calvert, Emondlo, Esigodini, Gluckstadt, Hlobane, Kandaspunt, Lenjanedrif, Louwsburg
Louwsburg, KwaZulu-Natal
Louwsburg is a small town in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cattle and maize farming are the primary economic activities. The town was named after David Louw, a pioneer in the area. The town's Zulu name, Ngotshe, means cave although the cave's location is unknown...
, Ngobeni, Ngome, Scheepersnek, Steilrand, Stilwater, Swart Umfolozi, Thakazele, and Zungwini.
The main nodal points of the AbaQulusi Municipal area are:
- VryheidVryheid, KwaZulu-NatalVryheid is a coal mining and cattle ranching town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Vryheid is Afrikaans for "freedom" or "liberty".-History:...
with its central business district and surrounding residential area, together with its former black township Bhekuzulu; - LouwsburgLouwsburg, KwaZulu-NatalLouwsburg is a small town in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Cattle and maize farming are the primary economic activities. The town was named after David Louw, a pioneer in the area. The town's Zulu name, Ngotshe, means cave although the cave's location is unknown...
, an independent settlement area some 67 km northeast of Vryheid and at the entrance to the Ithala Game Reserve; - Hlobane and Coronation, which have become ghost towns due to decline of the coal mining, and other similar settlements 25 km to the east of Vryheid;
- eMondlo and the surrounding Tribal Area of Hlahlindlela southwest of Vryheid;
- Khambi Tribal Area and surrounding settlements in the southeastern part of the Municipal area;
- Glückstadt and surrounding settlements in the southern part of the Municipal area;
- Boschhoek and surrounding settlements in the central part of the Municipal area;
- and a number of rural settlement areas around Brakfontein between eMondlo and Vryheid in the western part of the Municipal area.
Economy
Currently the agricultural sector provides the highest proportion of the Gross Geographic Product (GGP) of the AbaQulusi area, even though the area is classified as having low agricultural potential. According to a land potential analysis of the area, only 15% of agricultural land can be described as having high agricultural potential. There is extensive, but not intensive agriculture. Very few farms are irrigated.Products produced are timber, field crops and livestock. Current products farmed include maize, groundnuts, soya beans, sunflowers, fruits and sorghum.
Coal mining historically provided a major force in the local economy of Northern KwaZulu Natal. However, over the past 15 years a number of mines in the area ceased operation, negatively impacting the regional economy. The AbaQulusi Municipality was particularly affected by the closure of the Coronation, Mnyathi, and Hlobane mines in 1997 and 1998. Recently, the coal mining sector seems to have regained some momentum and it is coming back to dominate the economic sector.
Manufacturing in the municipal area includes food and beverages, clothing and textiles, leather products, paper and paper products, printing and publishing, metal products, machinery and equipment.
Wetlands of national importance abound in the district, with Blood River Vlei being the most important. Over 370 species of birds and many animals, reptiles, insects, amphibians and plants can be seen here, creating a significant potential for ecotourism
Ecotourism in South Africa
More than half the population in South Africa lives below the international established poverty line. However, tourism in South Africa is now starting to have its image turned around and prove to be a profitable situation for people in some areas of the nation...
in the area.
Challenges
The number of individuals infected with HIV/AIDS continues to be a major challenge. HIV/AIDS infections in Abaqulusi grew from 3.97% in 1995 to 19% in 2007. There was a substantial increase (49.89%) in deaths that were due to HIV/AIDS between 1995 and 2007. In 1995, 160 deaths were due to HIV/AIDS and in 2007 there were 2383 HIV/AIDS deaths. Thus in 2007, 41.13 % of all reported deaths were due to HIV/AIDS (Abaqulusi Municipality LED Sector Plan, 2009). The HIV and AIDS prevalence rate for the KwaZulu-NatalKwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
province as a whole is estimated at 39%. As a result, without proper nutrition, health care and medicine that is available in developed countries, large numbers of people suffer and die from AIDS-related complications. In some areas, the epidemic has left behind many orphans cared for by elderly grandparents. HIV/AIDS also severely retards economic growth by destroying human capital
Human capital
Human capitalis the stock of competencies, knowledge and personality attributes embodied in the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value. It is the attributes gained by a worker through education and experience...
.
Education levels in the area are very low, with 22% of the population having no formal education. 60.15% of the population has some form of primary or secondary education, but only 2.54% have had any further education. Consequently, one of the key challenges facing AbaQulusi Municipality is a relatively high rate of functional illiteracy. This has a significant impact on employability, the type of job opportunities that can be sought and the vocational distribution of the economically active population. The urban centres within AbaQulusi present a slightly better picture with regard to education levels, but generally the skills base remains low.