Nongoma Local Municipality
Encyclopedia
Nongoma Local Municipality is a local municipality
in the northeastern part of Zululand
in the KwaZulu-Natal
province of South Africa
. It is Zululand’s second largest municipality in terms of population and the second largest in terms of area. It shares its name with the town of Nongoma
, which serves as the seat of the municipality. It is the home of King Goodwill Zwelethini
, the hereditary traditional leader of the Zulu nation, and his royal palaces are among the main tourist attractions in the region.
Nongoma is predominantly a rural municipality. It encompasses 363 settlements, only one of which (Nongoma) has some urban characteristics. 98.34% of the population lives in rural areas. The level of education is low. Only 33% of the population have a primary education; only 5.3% have an education to Grade 12.
Only 12% of the community have access to electricity. The remaining 88% meet their energy needs using hydrocarbon (coal, gas, and paraffin) and/or biomass (wood, cow-dung, and crop waste). The task of collecting these have severe social and health costs which accrue primarily to rural women and children.
A radial network of roads converges in Nongoma Local Municipality. The rural roads are generally in poor condition and are often inaccessible during the rainy season. Although there are 12 clinics that serve the three tribal authority areas, a number of people still do not have access to these clinics due to poor road conditions and limited access to roads. In some areas there are no clinics and thus the people are deprived of basic health care. The situation contributes to the poor health conditions in the municipality.
Almost 56% of Nongoma's communities have no access to a telephone network. Only 1% of the municipality's households have a telephone in their actual dwelling.
There is an airstrip at eBukhalini that services the flight needs of the region. The airstrip is mainly used by specialist surgeons who visit the local Benedictine Hospital on a regular basis. The local business community and the king
of the Zulu nation also use the airstrip.
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 the northeastern part of 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...
. It is Zululand’s second largest municipality in terms of population and the second largest in terms of area. It shares its name with the town of Nongoma
Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal
Nongoma is a town in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the seat of the Nongoma Local Municipality. It is situated 300 km north of Durban and 56 km from Ulundi at ; it is surrounded by the Ngome Forest...
, which serves as the seat of the municipality. It is the home of King Goodwill Zwelethini
Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu
Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu is the reigning king of the Zulu nation under the Traditional Leadership clause of South Africa's republican constitution....
, the hereditary traditional leader of the Zulu nation, and his royal palaces are among the main tourist attractions in the region.
Nongoma is predominantly a rural municipality. It encompasses 363 settlements, only one of which (Nongoma) has some urban characteristics. 98.34% of the population lives in rural areas. The level of education is low. Only 33% of the population have a primary education; only 5.3% have an education to Grade 12.
Infrastructure and facilities
The Nongoma Local Municipality has one hospital and twelve clinics/health facilities. There is one full-fledged police station, one social development office facility, one full-fledged post office, one library, and two sports facilities. There are about 25 community primary schools, 13 high schools, and one Further Education and Training (FET) college active in the area.Only 12% of the community have access to electricity. The remaining 88% meet their energy needs using hydrocarbon (coal, gas, and paraffin) and/or biomass (wood, cow-dung, and crop waste). The task of collecting these have severe social and health costs which accrue primarily to rural women and children.
A radial network of roads converges in Nongoma Local Municipality. The rural roads are generally in poor condition and are often inaccessible during the rainy season. Although there are 12 clinics that serve the three tribal authority areas, a number of people still do not have access to these clinics due to poor road conditions and limited access to roads. In some areas there are no clinics and thus the people are deprived of basic health care. The situation contributes to the poor health conditions in the municipality.
Almost 56% of Nongoma's communities have no access to a telephone network. Only 1% of the municipality's households have a telephone in their actual dwelling.
There is an airstrip at eBukhalini that services the flight needs of the region. The airstrip is mainly used by specialist surgeons who visit the local Benedictine Hospital on a regular basis. The local business community and the king
Paramount chief
A paramount chief is the highest-level traditional chief or political leader in a regional or local polity or country typically administered politically with a chief-based system. This definition is used occasionally in anthropological and archaeological theory to refer to the rulers of multiple...
of the Zulu nation also use the airstrip.