OR THE AMAJUBA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Amajuba District Municipality (ADM) is located in the north-western corner of KwaZulu-Natal and comprises the three local municipalities of Newcastle (KZ252), Utrecht (KZ253) and Dannhauser (KZ254). The ADM is 6 910 km2 in size with Utrecht occupying the largest area of 3 539 km2, Newcastle some 1855 km2 and Dannhauser some 1 516 km2. The main transportational routes linking the District to its surrounds including the N11 which is the alternative route to Johannesburg from Durban, and the rail line which is the main line from the Durban harbour to Gauteng. The R34 also bisects the district in an east-west direction and provides a linkage from the port city of Richards Bay to the interior.

In terms of the various statistics for the District, STATSSA undertook a Census nation-wide in 2001 and it has been felt in many cases that the figures generated were inaccurate. STATSSA also announced that it will not be undertaking a Census until 2010 which compounds the problem of inaccurate population figures informing development decisions. As a result, the Amajuba District Municipality recently undertook a Baseline Data Study with funding from the Provincial Government. Below is a table briefly summarizing the key facts and figures for the DM and includes the Baseline Data Study. More information in this regards will be highlighted under the Analysis Phase later in this report.