Umvoti Local Municipality - MunicipalitiesSA

Umvoti Local Municipality is a local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, covering 2 705 square kilometres. It falls within the uMzinyathi District Municipality. It takes in the towns and settlements of Greytown and Kranskop.

Census 2022 counted 142 042 residents, making it the 36th most populous of the 54 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal and 139th of 257 nationally. That works out to 52.5 people per square kilometre. Population is spread thinly across the area. There are 32 290 households, averaging 4.4 people each. 32.4% of residents are under 15 and 6.3% are over 65. Among residents aged 20 and over, 6.7% hold a higher education qualification and 18.8% have had no schooling.

The council has 27 seats across 4 parties, with IFP holding the largest share at 11 seats (40.7%). Hung Council governs the municipality. Mr Gabriel Zamani Malembe serves as executive mayor (IFP), and Ms NP Ndaba is municipal manager.

On this site’s financial health measure, which weighs the Auditor-General’s opinion alongside operating margin, liquidity, cash cover and irregular spending, Umvoti scores 52.6 out of 100 for 2024/25, a grade of D, described as under strain. Its most recent audit outcome was recorded as “financially unqualified”. In 2024/25 it reported R436.3 million in operating revenue against R507.9 million in expenditure, an operating deficit of R71.6 million. At the last census, 37.4% of households had piped water inside the dwelling, 92.4% used electricity for lighting and 38.6% had refuse removed weekly.

Council and management

Seats: Electoral Commission, 2021 local government elections

IFP 11 40.7%
ANC 9 33.3%
ABC 6 22.2%
DA 1 3.7%

Office bearers

Mayor Mr Gabriel Zamani Malembe IFP

Deputy Mayor Mr Mbongiseni Dlamini

Speaker Ms Ntombiyenkosi Ngubane

Chief Whip n/a

Municipal Manager Ms NP Ndaba

Chief Financial Officer Mr Samson Kaziko Acting

Mayoral Committee Ms Lucia T Gwalla

Mayoral Committee Mr Rajendraparsad Maharaj

Mayoral Committee Mrs Rosebud Ntombiyenkosi Ngubane

Mayoral Committee Mr Silam V Zondi

Mayoral Committee Mr Thamsanqa Clive Ngubane

Senior Management Mrs BJ Mchunu Director: Community Services

Senior Management Ms N Masikane Acting Director: Technical Services

Senior Management Ms Nozipho V Khumalo Director: Planning and Economic Services

Communications Mrs K Maharaj

Finances

National Treasury, audited outcomes

Measure	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
AUDIT OUTCOME	Financially unqualified	Clean audit	Financially unqualified	Financially unqualified	Financially unqualified

Financial performance

Measure	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Property rates	60 677	53 053	61 227	45 673	52 220
Service charges	122 267	107 554	93 795	99 898	91 968
Investment revenue	4 473	5 720	4 097	3 251	2 361
Transfers recognised - operational	193 576	184 481	169 652	151 475	172 496
Other own revenue	55 353	38 313	42 945	25 829	12 647
Total Revenue (excluding capital transfers and contributions)	436 345	389 121	371 716	326 127	331 692
Employee costs	154 175	144 770	139 857	136 082	125 305
Remuneration of councillors	11 936	11 381	10 854	10 343	10 136
Depreciation and amortisation	36 700	32 329	34 720	31 567	33 448
Finance charges	4 415	3 829	4 249	3 338	2 854
Inventory consumed and bulk purchases	111 132	98 715	85 372	86 968	71 171
Transfers and subsidies	1 967	1 067	1 068	1 313	1 331
Other expenditure	187 591	152 645	135 432	108 640	114 699
Total Expenditure	507 917	444 737	411 551	378 250	358 944
Surplus/(Deficit)	-71 572	-55 616	-39 835	-52 123	-27 252
Transfers and subsidies - capital (monetary allocations)	68 528	41 378	48 120	47 936	45 591
Transfers and subsidies - capital (in-kind)	-	-	-	-	-
Surplus/(Deficit) after capital transfers & contributions	-3 044	-14 238	8 285	-4 187	18 339
Share of surplus/(deficit) of associate	-	-	-	-	-
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year	-3 044	-14 238	8 285	-4 187	18 339

Capital expenditure & funds sources

Measure	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Capital expenditure	55 703	1 004 139	959 360	918 004	846 948
Transfers recognised - capital	-10 865	605 960	575 285	537 714	468 409
Borrowing	-	-	-	-	-
Internally generated funds	66 568	398 179	384 075	380 289	347 429
Total sources of capital funds	55 703	1 004 139	959 360	918 004	815 838

Financial position

Measure	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Total current assets	63 330	70 258	64 326	88 372	99 121
Total non current assets	735 308	698 894	696 325	659 550	643 937
Total current liabilities	112 825	83 632	64 460	78 781	74 353
Total non current liabilities	40 363	34 478	29 756	32 581	31 024
Community wealth/Equity	648 493	665 281	658 150	640 747	619 342

Cash flows

Measure	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Net cash from (used) operating	369 844	1 060 732	565 395	37 886	13 231
Net cash from (used) investing	-	(21 790)	(19 718)	-	-
Net cash from (used) financing	-	-	-	147	185
Cash/cash equivalents at the year end	1 596 940	1 038 942	545 677	38 034	13 415

Unauthorised, irregular, fruitless & wasteful expenditure

Measure	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Unauthorised expenditure	15 215	-	36 877	-	26 590
Irregular expenditure	402	812	42	9 098	34 125
Fruitless & wasteful expenditure	0	0	12	100	195

Source: Audited Outcome A1 2026 Q1

People

Statistics South Africa, Census

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Population	142 042	122 423	114 715

Age structure

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Population under 15	32.4%	33.8%	36.3%
Population 15 to 64	61.3%	61.2%	58.3%
Population over 65	6.3%	4.9%	5.4%

Dependency ratio

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Per 100 (15-64)	63	63.4	71.7

Sex ratio

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Males per 100 females	80.2	82.8	79.2

Population growth

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Per annum	2.1%	1.5%	n/a

Labour market

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Unemployment rate (official)	n/a	n/a	n/a
Youth unemployment rate (official) 15-34	n/a	n/a	n/a

Education (aged 20 +)

Measure	2022	2016	2011
No schooling	18.8%	19.8%	29.0%
Matric	n/a	28	21.7
Higher education	6.7%	6.8%	4.5%

Household dynamics

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Households	32 290	34 664	30 029
Average household size	4.4	3.5	3.8
Female headed households	n/a	57.7	58.4
Formal dwellings	69.9%	43.2%	49.9%
Housing owned	n/a	70	60.5

Household services

Measure	2022	2016	2011
Flush toilet connected to sewerage	40.6%	21.8%	25.5%
Weekly refuse removal	38.6%	17.8%	22.7%
Piped water inside dwelling	37.4%	12.7%	18.4%
Electricity for lighting	92.4%	71.4%	58.3%

Service delivery

National Treasury, non-financial census of municipalities

Water

Measure	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Does the municipality provide?	No	No	No	No	No
Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided	0	0	0	0	0
Number of domestic households/delivery points	0	0	0	0	0
Inside the yard	0	0	0	0	0
Less than 200m from yard	0	0	0	0	0
More than 200m from yard	0	0	0	0	0
Domestic households with access to free basic service	0	0	0	0	0

Electricity

Measure	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Does the municipality provide?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided	7 347	7 221	5 743	5 172	5 172
Domestic households with access to free basic service	1 015	730	721	555	1 936

Sewerage and sanitation

Measure	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Does the municipality provide?	No	No	No	No	No
Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided	0	0	0	0	0
Flush toilet - public sewerage	0	0	0	0	0
Flush toilet - septic tank	0	0	0	0	0
Ventilated pit latrine	0	0	0	0	0
Bucket system	0	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0	0
Domestic households with access to free basic service	0	0	0	0	0

Solid waste services

Measure	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Does the municipality provide?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number of households and non-domestic customers to which provided	1 008	2 793	2 793	3 239	3 239
Domestic households with access to free basic service	1 008	1 013	1 013	900	660

Staffing

National Treasury

Measure	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Employment Costs (R’000)	139 857	136 082	125 305	107 253	113 355
Remuneration of councillors (R’000)	10 854	10 343	10 136	10 126	9 986
Total Employee Positions	931	937	730	725	428
Total Vacant Employee Positions	0	6	0	4	32
Total Vacancy Percentage	0.0%	0.6%	0.0%	0.6%	7.5%
Managerial Positions – S54A and S56	6	6	6	6	6
Vacant Managerial Positions – S54A and S56	0	0	0	1	2
Managerial Positions - by organogram	13	13	13	11	11
Vacant Managerial Positions - by organogram	0	0	0	3	3

Published documents

Hosted by National Treasury

Annual Reports

Audit Reports

Audited Financial Statements

Integrated Development Plans

D Under strain Financial health 52.6 of 100, 2024/25

Audit outcome Financially unqualified

The financial statements are reliable, but the Auditor-General raised findings on performance reporting or compliance.

Operating margin -16.4%

The municipality spent more than it collected on day-to-day operations, running an operating deficit.

Current ratio 0.56:1

Short-term obligations exceed short-term assets, a common early sign of cash-flow trouble.

Cash coverage 37.7 months

Cash on hand could fund operations for this long without any new income.

Irregular spending 3.07%

Share of total spending the Auditor-General flagged as unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful.

Location

Within KwaZulu-Natal

Contact

Telephone: 033 413 9100
Email: [email protected]
Website: umvoti.gov.za
Address: 41 Bell Street, Greytown
Postal: PO Box 71, Greytown, 3250