VISION

uMzinyathi District Municipality shall be a self sustainable organization that promotes integrated development.

uMzinyathi District Municipality shall be a dynamic and effective District which supports co-operative governance through participation, commits itself to deliver services according to its constitutional mandate, supports poverty alleviation through job creation and preserves its cultural and natural heritage.

"THUTHUKA MZINYATHI"

Umzinyathi is one of the 11 district municipalities ("districts") of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The seat of Umzinyathi is Dundee. The majority of its 456 452 people speak IsiZulu (2001 Census).

The district code is DC24ts of four local municipalities. That is Endumeni, Umvoti, Nquthu and Msinga

Custodians of History and Culture

Umzinyathi District has a total area of 8 079 square kilometres and is located in the north central areas of KwaZulu-Natal.The District lies between the main N3 corridor between Durban and Gauteng and the Coastal Corridor, running along the east coast. Umzinyathi includes some of the poorest and most underdeveloped rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal, most notable the Msinga and Nquthu Municipalities.The population of the region numbers about 456 454 people. Of the population, 93% are rural and 7% are urban. The more developed urban areas include Dundee, which is the administrative seat of Umzinyathi District Municipality, and Greytown. Greytown can be viewed as a strong regional centre with substantial commercial and agricultural activity. In Nquthu and Msinga there is a dominance of the three peri-urban settlements of Tugela Ferry, Pomeroy and Keates Drift.The population densities of these three areas are higher than those of the rest of the area. The District has 17 TribalAuthorities. Endumeni is the only B Municipality that does not have any tribal land. The majority of the land (60%) is under the control of the Ingonyama Trust situated mainly in Nquthu and Msinga.

In general, the District has a temperate climate. Frost occurs only in parts of uMzinyathi in winter. Rainfall varies throughout - from more than 800mm in Endumeni and Umvoti, to less than 400 mm in parts of Msinga.The topography is undulating, although some areas are steeper than others.Umzinyathi is bisected by several significant rivers, including theTugela,Mooi, Umvoti, Blood and Buffalo.