Msunduzi Local Municipality

{{Infobox settlement | name = Msunduzi | official_name = | other_name = | native_name = | settlement_type = Local municipality | image_seal = Msunduzi_CoA.png | seal_size = 150x100px | image_map = | mapsize = | map_alt = | map_caption = Location of Msunduzi Local Municipality within KwaZulu-Natal | coordinates = {{coord|29|37|S|30|23|E|region:ZA_type:adm3rd|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes =  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = KwaZulu-Natal | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = uMgungundlovu | seat = Pietermaritzburg | parts_type = Wards | parts = 41 | government_footnotes = <ref name="muni_mayor">{{cite web |url=http://www.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_list.jsp?id=14&heading=Executive%20Mayors |title=Contact list: Executive Mayors |publisher=Government Communication & Information System |accessdate=22 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714013749/http://www.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_list.jsp?id=14&heading=Executive%20Mayors |archivedate=14 July 2010 }}</ref> | government_type = Municipal council | leader_party = ANC | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 =  | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 634 | population_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population">{{cite web |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=964 |title=Statistics by place |publisher=Statistics South Africa |accessdate=27 September 2015}}</ref> | population_total = 618536 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_rank = | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup {{nobold|(2011)}} | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population"/> | demographics1_title1 = {{nobold|Black African}} | demographics1_info1 = 81.1% | demographics1_title2 = {{nobold|Coloured}} | demographics1_info2 = 2.9% | demographics1_title3 = {{nobold|Indian/Asian}} | demographics1_info3 = 9.8% | demographics1_title4 = {{nobold|White}} | demographics1_info4 = 6.0% | demographics_type2 = First languages {{nobold|(2011)}} | demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population">{{cite web |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=964 |title=Statistics by place |publisher=Statistics South Africa |accessdate=27 September 2015}}</ref> | demographics2_title1 = {{nobold|Zulu}} | demographics2_info1 = 72.4% | demographics2_title2 = {{nobold|English}} | demographics2_info2 = 19.0% | demographics2_title3 = {{nobold|Afrikaans}} | demographics2_info3 = 1.9% | demographics2_title4 = {{nobold|Xhosa}} | demographics2_info4 = 1.9% | demographics2_title5 = {{nobold|Other}} | demographics2_info5 = 4.8% | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2 | blank_name_sec1 = Municipal code | blank_info_sec1 = KZN225

| footnotes = }} '''Msunduzi Municipality''' ({{langx|zu|UMasipala wase Msunduzi}}) is a local municipality within the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It encompasses the city of Pietermaritzburg, which is the capital of KwaZulu-Natal and the main economic hub of the Umgungundlovu District Municipality.

Msunduzi Municipality is situated on the N3 highway at a junction of an industrial corridor (from Durban to Pietermaritzburg) and an agro-industrial corridor (stretching from Pietermaritzburg to Estcourt). On the regional scale, it is located at the cross section of the N3 corridor and the Greytown Road corridor to the north, a tourist route to the Drakensberg, and Kokstad Road to the south.<ref name=IDP>[http://www.msunduzi.gov.za/site/user_data/files/IDP_May_2009.pdf Integrated Development Plan - May 2009.] Msunduzi Municipality. Retrieved on Oct 7, 2009.</ref>

The city of Pietermaritzburg is a provincial and national centre of education. Pietermaritzburg is a seat of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is home to several other institutions of higher learning. In addition, Pietermaritzburg is home to a host of private and government-owned institutions of primary and secondary education.<ref name=IDP />

== Politics == {{main|Msunduzi Local Municipality elections}} The Msunduzi Local Municipality council consists of eighty-one members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Forty-one councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in forty-one wards, while the remaining forty are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, obtaining a plurality of forty seats. The following table shows the results of the election.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Result Table for LGE2021 — Msunduzi |url=https://wikitable.frith.dev/lge2021/KZN225/short |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=wikitable.frith.dev}}</ref> {{Election results |firstround=Ward |secondround=List |party1=African National Congress |votes1=74238 |votes1_2=77703 |seats1=29 |seats1_2=11 |totseats1=40 |party2=Democratic Alliance |votes2=30074 |votes2_2=30697 |seats2=10 |seats2_2=6 |totseats2=16 |party3=Economic Freedom Fighters |votes3=18262 |votes3_2=18673 |seats3=0 |seats3_2=10 |totseats3=10 |party4=Inkatha Freedom Party |votes4=13271 |votes4_2=15270 |seats4=1 |seats4_2=7 |totseats4=8 |party5=Independent candidates |votes5=7716 |votes5_2= |seats5=1 |seats5_2= |totseats5=1 |party6=Abantu Batho Congress |votes6=2914 |votes6_2=2614 |seats6=0 |seats6_2=2 |totseats6=2 |party7=African Independent Congress |votes7=1793 |votes7_2=1728 |seats7=0 |seats7_2=1 |totseats7=1 |party8=Patriotic Alliance |votes8=1537 |votes8_2=1454 |seats8=0 |seats8_2=1 |totseats8=1 |party9=African Christian Democratic Party |votes9=1006 |votes9_2=1159 |seats9=0 |seats9_2=1 |totseats9=1 |party10=Justice and Employment Party |votes10=803 |votes10_2=1111 |seats10=0 |seats10_2=1 |totseats10=1 |party11=18 other parties |votes11=5814 |votes11_2=6628 |seats11=0 |seats11_2=0 |totseats11=0 |invalid=3570 |invalid2=4697 |electorate=339257 |electorate2=339257 }}

===Mayors=== * Hloni Glenford Zondi, 2000-2006 <ref name=Hlatshwayo2006 /> * Zanele Hlatshwayo, 2006-2010 <ref name=Hlatshwayo2006>{{cite web |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/hlatshwayo-snatches-mayorship-from-zondi-269648 |title= Hlatshwayo snatches mayorship from Zondi |date=16 March 2006 |work=Iol.co.za }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20060924173856/http://www.msunduzi.gov.za/home/Home.php |url= http://www.msunduzi.gov.za |title= Msunduzi.gov.za |archivedate= 24 September 2006 |url-status=dead |publisher= Msunduzi Municipality |via=Wayback Machine }}</ref> * Mike Tarr, May 2010-2011 <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/mec-fires-official-for-13-charges-1014990 |title= MEC fires official for 13 charges |date=21 January 2011 |work=Iol.co.za }}</ref> * Chris Ndlela, 2011-2016 <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/tough-year-for-msunduzi-municipality-1203455 |title= Tough year for Msunduzi Municipality |date=23 December 2011 |work=Iol.co.za }}</ref> * Themba Njilo, 2016–August 2019<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/njilo-to-run-for-mayor-20160619 |title=Njilo to run for mayor |work=News24.com |date=20 June 2016 }}</ref> *<ref>{{cite web |url=http://maritzburgsun.co.za/35207/there-will-be-no-aloof-councillors-njilo/ |title='There will be no aloof councillors'-Njilo |work=Maritzburgsun.co.za |date= 24 August 2016 }}</ref> *Mzimkhulu Thebolla, August 2019-present

==Financial mismanagement==

By May 2023, the municipality owed Eskom R400 million for electricity services, but did not have the means to pay, and it approached national government for a bailout. By August 2023, the municipality had fallen well below the National Treasury's benchmark of at least 90 days cash-on-hand, stating that it had between 27 and 30 days availability, although opposition African Christian Democratic Party councillor Niemand Reinu stated that the municipality only had 7 days cash available. The municipality however intended to go ahead with a R27 million sponsorship to local soccer club Royal AM. The sponsorship was reported to be up for review in April 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-05 |title=KZN News Bites: Broke Msunduzi may cut Royal AM sponsorship |url=https://scrolla.africa/kzn-news-bites-broke-msunduzi-may-cut-royal-am-sponsorship/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Scrolla.Africa |language=en-ZA}}</ref>

The municipality is struggling to collect revenue, with an estimated 25000 illegal electricity connections.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maliti |first=Soyiso |title=Msunduzi has 27 days' cash, owes Eskom and Umgeni Water - but insists on R27m Royal AM sponsorship deal |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/msunduzi-has-27-days-cash-owes-eskom-and-umgeni-water-but-insists-on-r27m-royal-am-sponsorship-deal-20230828 |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In September 2023, R33 million was reported missing from a pension fund for retiring employees.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ndaliso |first=Chris |date=2023-09-02 |title='We want our money,' pensioners tell Msunduzi |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/politics/kznmunicipal/we-want-our-money-pensioners-tell-msunduzi/ |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Witness |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2025, the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled that the sponsorship agreement with Royal AM was invalid and unlawful, and ordered Royal AM to pay back the R27 million value, plus interest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koteli |first=Tshehla Cornelius |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Court orders MamKhize's Royal AM to pay back R27 million to Msunduzi Municipality |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/business/court-orders-mamkhizes-royal-am-to-pay-back-r27-million-to-msunduzi-municipality/ |access-date=2025-11-03 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref>

==Housing== As of September 2023, Msunduzi had identified 50 problem buildings, although in the aftermath of the 2023 Johannesburg building fire, inspections are ongoing and the number is expected to grow.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Xulu |first=Khethukuthula |date=2023-09-02 |title=Is there a plan for KZN's problem buildings? |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/news/kzn/is-there-a-plan-for-kzns-problem-buildings/ |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=Witness |language=en}}</ref>

==Main places== The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:<ref>[http://www.statssa.gov.za/census01/html/lookuptables1.zip Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa]</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Place !! Code !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)!! Population |- | Ashdown || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51101 51101]||3.03||13,531 |- | Edendale || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51102 51102]||50.53||79,573 |- | Imbali || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51103 51103]||23.40||79,115 |- | Inadi || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51104 51104]||87.25||34,131 |- | Mafunze || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51105 51105]||60.55||36,186 |- | Mpumuza || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51106 51106]||97.56||55,260 |- | Nxamalala || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51108 51108]||12.94||14,417 |- | Pietermaritzburg || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51109 51109]||160.99||223,519 |- | Sobantu || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51110 51110]||1.07||8,155 |- | Wilgerfontein || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51111 51111]||0.43||1,073 |- | Ximba || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51112 51112]||5.51||2,947 |- | ''Remainder of the municipality'' || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/51107 51107]||144.53||5,315 |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.msunduzi.gov.za/ Official website]

Category:Local municipalities of the Umgungundlovu District Municipality