UPhongolo Local Municipality

UPhongolo (also Uphongolo; engl uPhongolo Local Municipality. ) is a municipality in South Africa Zululand district in the province of KwaZulu -Natal. The administrative center of the municipality is located in Pongola. Bhekinkosi Mncwango is the mayor. The IFP represents the majority in the City Council.

The namesake of the municipality is the river Uphongolo, which is also called Pongola. In 2008, the municipality had 149 543 inhabitants. It covers an area of ​​3239 square kilometers.

Geography

UPhongolo is located in the north of Zululand District and bordering Swaziland and Mpumalanga. The N2 provides the community is well connected to the transport network. The Mkuze River and Pongola flow through the territory of the municipality. To the east is the Pongolapoort Reservoir, which is tributary of the Pongola.

The most important cities in the municipality are Pongola, eGolela, Magudu, Vusumuzi and Mvutshini.

Economy

Since uPhongola is a rural area largely consists of the bulk of economic activities from agriculture and tourism. There are mainly grown sugar cane and citrus fruits. Since the raw materials are often brought for further processing in other industrial centers, there is little potential for the community to create new jobs. Other employers in the municipality are construction and the public sector.

Attractions

• Ithala Game Reserve
• Pongola Nature Reserve: It is, by its own account, the oldest game reserve in South Africa. It was founded in 1894 by President Paul Kruger. Closed due to the Second Boer War, the Pongola Nature Reserve was opened in the same field in 1964.
• Pongolapoort Reservoir: it was built to irrigate the surrounding areas and is the third largest lake in South Africa. The lake is known among anglers for the Tigersalmler.