Umzimkhulu
Place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Umzimkhulu is a town in Harry Gwala District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Umzimkhulu | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 30.263°S 29.940°E / -30.263; 29.940 | |
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]