Umzimkhulu
Umzimkhulu is a town in Harry Gwala District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Umzimkhulu | |
|---|---|
Umzimkhulu Umzimkhulu | |
| Coordinates: 30°15′47″S 29°56′24″E / 30.263°S 29.940°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District | Harry Gwala |
| Municipality | Umzimkhulu |
| • Councillor | (ANC) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.55 km2 (1.76 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 8,399 |
| • Density | 1,800/km2 (4,800/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 95.1% |
| • Coloured | 3.5% |
| • Indian/Asian | 0.5% |
| • Other | 0.9% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Zulu | 47.2% |
| • Xhosa | 41.5% |
| • English | 5.5% |
| • Afrikaans | 1.3% |
| • Other | 4.5% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 3297 |
| PO box | 3297 |
| Area code | 039 |
The town lies 243 km north-east of Mthatha, 18 km south-west of Ixopo, and 108 km south south-west of Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital. It developed from a trading-post and was laid out in 1884. Takes its name from the Mzimkulu River on which it is situated; Zulu and Xhosa for 'big place', 'large home' of the waters.[2]
Until 1 March 2006, the town was part of an exclave of the Eastern Cape, before being transferred to KwaZulu-Natal as part of the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of South Africa.
During the KwaZulu-Natal riots of July, 2021, more than 50 people died in a furniture store in the town that was set alight while looters were robbing it.[3]