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Abaqulusi Local Municipality

Abaqulusi
Local municipality
Official seal of Abaqulusi
Seal
Location of Abaqulusi Local Municipality within KwaZulu-Natal
Location of Abaqulusi Local Municipality within KwaZulu-Natal
Coordinates: 27°46′S 30°48′E / 27.767°S 30.800°E / -27.767; 30.800Coordinates: 27°46′S 30°48′E / 27.767°S 30.800°E / -27.767; 30.800
Country South Africa
Province KwaZulu-Natal
District Zululand
Seat Vryheid
Wards 22
Government
 • Type Municipal council
 • Mayor G.M. Dlamini (IFP)
Area
 • Total 4,185 km2 (1,616 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 211,060
 • Density 50/km2 (130/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African 95.4%
 • Coloured 0.5%
 • Indian/Asian 0.4%
 • White 3.5%
First languages (2011)
 • Zulu 91.2%
 • Afrikaans 3.0%
 • English 2.5%
 • Southern Ndebele 1.0%
 • Other 2.3%
Time zone SAST (UTC+2)
Municipal code KZN263

AbaQulusi Local Municipality is a local municipality in Zululand in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is named after the AbaQulusi, a Zulu clan whose descendants live in the vicinities of Vryheid, Utrecht, eDumbe and eNgoje. They hailed from different origins but were unified by their allegiance to local Zulu royal homesteads. Historically they were not drafted into ordinary "amabutho" regiments but rather into a royal section, and no "umnumzane" chief presented them in the Zulu king's council.

63% of the population of the AbaQulusi municipal area live in rural areas, most of which live in scattered homesteads known as imizi in tribal areas. Homesteads are of a mixed nature, including both modern dwellings and traditional thatched huts. The remainder of the population lives as tenants on farm or in towns, dormitory townships and shacks in the settlements around towns.

Vryheid is Zululand's main commercial, industrial and business centre, with a reasonably well-developed physical, social and institutional infrastructure. It is located at the intersection of the major transport routes (R34 and R69) that traverse the region.

Other towns and settlements within the municipal boundaries include: Alpha, Calvert, Emondlo, Esigodini, Gluckstadt, Hlobane, Kandaspunt, Lenjanedrif, Louwsburg, Ngobeni, Ngome, Scheepersnek, Steilrand, Stilwater, Swart Umfolozi, Thakazele, and Zungwini.

The main nodal points of the AbaQulusi Municipal area are:

Currently the agricultural sector provides the highest proportion of the Gross Geographic Product (GGP) of the AbaQulusi area, even though the area is classified as having low agricultural potential. According to a land potential analysis of the area, only 15% of agricultural land can be described as having high agricultural potential. There is extensive, but not intensive agriculture. Very few farms are irrigated.


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