32-592: Mthatha / ə m ˈ t ɑː t ɑː / ; Xhosa: [ḿ̩ˈtʰâːtʰà] , alternatively rendered Umtata , is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and the capital of OR Tambo District Municipality . The city has an airport , previously known as the K. D. Matanzima Airport after former leader Kaiser Matanzima . Mthatha derives its name from
64-621: A feud over the R61 road from Mthatha to Libode and Port St. Johns . This feud resulted in taxi ranks being closed by the Government. Over 60 fatalities were reported during the period of the feud. In 2018, the Minister of Police Bheki Cele closed all taxi ranks in Mthatha and demanded that the taxi associations negotiate with the police and merge to form one association but they refused. As
96-710: A junction with the N1 and N12 national route co-signage. There are plans to give the first section of the R61, from its starting junction with the N2 in Port Shepstone to its other junction with the N2 in Mthatha , to the N2 national route . The project was initially scheduled for completion in 2024. Together with the current N2 from Mthatha to East London , this route will be named
128-593: A junction with the R394 road , where the R61 turns southwards and heads for 70 kilometres, through Flagstaff , to the town of Lusikisiki . It continues southwards for 40 kilometres to cross the Mzimvubu River and reach a junction just north of the town of Port St. Johns . It bends to the west and heads 87 kilometres, bypassing Libode , to the city of Mthatha , where it crosses the Mthatha River and meets
160-517: A new dawn is beckoning for Mthatha with the construction of infrastructure like BT Ngebs Mall and Mayfair Hotel. The Sinawe Thuthuzela Care Centre , a rape crisis centre launched in 2001, sees between 60 and 120 patients a month, from up to 200 km (120 mi) away. It won an award for being "the best-run care centre in South Africa". Sinawe means "we are with you" in Xhosa . Mthatha has
192-607: A number of construction projects offer hope for renewal. Many of South Africa's black leaders – including Walter Sisulu , Sabelo Phama , Bantu Holomisa and Nelson Mandela — come from this area, and the retired Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela lived in his home village of Qunu a few kilometres south of Mthatha. Mthatha is a focal point of the Nelson Mandela Route which celebrates the life of Nelson Mandela. There are three Nelson Mandela Museums. Spread across three sites, they collect, interpret and exhibit key aspects of
224-503: A result, some taxis were impounded by the police. Sagas ranks were opened in Mthatha but the ranks that were not opened triggered riots with people protesting and police firing rubber bullets and tear gas affecting a nearby school (St John's College). In 2019, two final year students, from the Walter Sisulu University developed affordable prosthetics. These students, Siphosethu Mgwili and Zanodumo Godlimpi, were awarded
256-650: A warm oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ) closely bordering on both a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) and a semi-arid climate ( BSh / BSk ). Mthatha is prone to severe thundersoms, some of which are tornadic in nature. Mthatha has been hit by several tornadoes between 1995 and 2023, the most recent being the EF3 tornado that damaged residential areas near the airport, including the airport itself. news24.com article "mthatha has collapsed" King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality ( Xhosa : uMasipala wase King Sabata Dalindyebo )
288-486: Is a local municipality situated in the inland of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa . The municipality includes the towns of Mthatha and Mqanduli . The King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality is one of the seven local municipalities within the OR Tambo District Municipality . The King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality was established before the 2000 local government elections when
320-704: Is also high in this district (64.6%), unemployment is at 65.5% and the literacy rate 42.2%. In 2006, it was reported the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality was owed R250 million by residents in unpaid service fees. It counts among its creditors the South African Revenue Service (to which it owes R18-million), the Public Investment Commission (R84 million), the national water affairs and forestry department (R46 million) and
352-564: Is co-signed with the N9 for 103 kilometres from Aberdeen through Graaff-Reinet to Bethesdaweg , and with the N6 for 18 kilometres near Queenstown. The R61 begins in Port Shepstone at an interchange with the N2 highway from Durban (at the Oribi Toll Plaza). As the N2 leaves the freeway at an off-ramp and becomes the road westwards towards Harding and Kokstad , the R61 takes over as
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#1732775750999384-625: The N2 national route again in the city centre. From Mthatha, the R61 heads westwards for 83 kilometres as the All Saints Neck Pass, bypassing Mthatha Airport , to the town of Ngcobo , where it meets the eastern terminus of the R58 road before turning to the south-south-west. After 45 kilometres, at the R409 intersection just north of Tsomo , the R61 turns to the west and heads for 80 kilometres, through Cofimvaba and Qamata (crossing
416-614: The R67 road at a roundabout. The R61 heads westwards for 136 kilometres, through Tarkastad , to the town of Cradock , where it meets the N10 national route . The R61 & N10 are one road northwards through the city centre of Cradock, continuing by a left turn (Commissioner Street), a right turn (JA Calata Street) and another left turn, to cross the Great Fish River . They remain as one road for another 4.5 km west-north-west before
448-564: The White Kei River ), to reach a t-junction with the N6 national route . The R61 joins the N6 and they become one road north-west for 18 kilometres into the town of Komani (formerly Queenstown) as Louis Botha Road and Cathcart Street. At the roundabout with Barrable Street in Komani, the R61 becomes its own road west-south-west and after almost 2 kilometres, it meets the northern terminus of
480-509: The "Wild Coast Toll Route". While it will take over most of the R61's route, this new Wild Coast Highway of the N2 will be realigned in some places. This new Wild Coast Highway will provide a shorter and more direct route from Lusikisiki to Port Edward (via the Mtentu Bridge and Msikaba Bridge ) while the current R61 passes through Flagstaff and Bizana on the route between those two towns (it will be 69 km shorter than
512-644: The Border Technikon and Eastern Cape Technikon were merged to form the Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science . The campus was the base for the region's first community radio station, UCRFM, which started in 1996 and has become a significant community broadcaster. On 1 August 1973, Mthatha High Court was opened. In 1973, a summit meeting of the black homeland leaders was held at Umtata, when they decided to federate their respective states after independence. In 1976, Transkei
544-539: The Development Bank of Southern Africa (R13 million). According to SA Delivery, The average annual income of a black Mthatha resident is R15,762. The town has also been plagued by complaints about the state of its roads and the collapse of its utilities and infrastructure. It's widely reported that the general decline into dysfunction and societal fragility is caused by endemic political corruption, municipal incompetence and widespread criminality. Despite all that,
576-612: The Eastern Cape. However, the South African National Defence Force relinquished its control of the airport in 2013. The airport was renamed Mthatha Airport . After the end of apartheid, some sections of the African business and professional community migrated to traditionally white areas of economic activity, and this has been widely cited as a cause of economic recession in the municipality, but
608-540: The Mthatha and Mqanduli transitional and rural areas were merged. The municipality was named after King Sabata Dalindyebo because his great place was in the region and he was seen as a hero who fought for the freedom of Transkei and South Africa. The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places : The municipal council consists of seventy-two members elected by mixed-member proportional representation . Thirty-seven councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in thirty-six wards , while
640-529: The R61 & N9 remain as one road west-south-west for 55 km up to the town of Aberdeen . At the 4-way-junction with Hoop Street ( R338 ), the R61 stops co-signing with the N9 and becomes the road westwards from this junction. From Aberdeen, the R61 heads westwards for 148 kilometres, crossing into the Western Cape Province, to enter the town of Beaufort West and reach its western terminus at
672-582: The R61 becomes its own road westwards. The R61 continues for 85 kilometres as the Wapadsberg Pass to reach a junction with the N9 national route south-east of Bethesdaweg . The R61 joins the N9 and they are one road southwards for 46 km into the town of Graaff-Reinet , where they meet and are co-signed for a few kilometres with the R63 route , crossing the Sundays River . From Graaff-Reinet,
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#1732775750999704-669: The R61 from Port Shepstone via Port Edward, Bizana, Flagstaff, and Lusikisiki to Mthatha will no-longer be designated as the R61. As of 2021, the road classification numbers on the board signs on the R61 between Port Shepstone and Port Edward have already been changed to signs indicating the N2 as part of the Wild Coast Highway Project, indicating that the freeway from the Oribi Toll Plaza in Port Shepstone southwards will no-longer be designated as
736-659: The R61 resumes south-south-west for 25 kilometres to Port Edward . Just after Port Edward, the R61 leaves the KwaZulu-Natal Province and crosses the Mtamvuna River via the C. H. Mitchell Bridge into the Eastern Cape Province. From the provincial boundary (Mtamvuna River), the R61 heads north-west for 50 km to the town of Bizana , which it bypasses to the south. From Bizana, the R61 continues westwards for 25 kilometres to reach
768-720: The Transkeian Territories General Council (known as the Bunga), and the building which served as a parliament was erected in 1903. This was followed by the construction of the town hall in 1908. A branch of the University of Fort Hare was established in the town, and after the independence of the Transkei in 1977 it became the University of Transkei . In 2005, the University of Transkei with
800-504: The current R61). This new shortcut between Port Edward and Lusikisiki will have a tollgate constructed while there will also be a tollgate constructed on the stretch from Lusikisiki to Mthatha, just outside of Port St Johns . The overall distance between Port Shepstone and Mthatha will be 85 km shorter than the current N2 . Once the N2 Wild Coast Toll Route is complete, the existing 320 kilometre section of
832-593: The first ever WSU vice-chancellor's award for most innovative prototype. The city is the episcopal see of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mthatha and the Anglican Diocese of Mthatha . Mthatha falls under OR Tambo District Municipality which is the poorest district in the Eastern Cape by all poverty measures. It has the lowest HDI (0.45) and the highest poverty gap (2 231 million) in the Eastern Cape. The number of people living in poverty
864-600: The freeway south-south-west through the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast . As the 1st section is maintained by SANRAL , the R61 is a toll road for 22 km from the N2 Interchange, through Shelly Beach , Margate and Ramsgate , up to Southbroom. At Southbroom , it stops being both a toll road and a highway. From Port Shepstone to Southbroom, the R61 is followed by the R620 route . From Southbroom,
896-413: The nearby Mthatha River which was named after the sneezewood (umtati) trees, famous for their wood and medicinal properties. The settlement existed in the 1870s as a buffer-zone, in response to reported tensions between Mpondo and neighbouring Thembu groups, and in 1875 a magistrate's office was opened. The first magistrate, appointed that year, was a man named J F Boyes. The settlement developed during
928-527: The next few years, becoming a military post for the British colonial forces in 1882. The town itself was founded in 1883, along the banks of the Mthatha River . Nearly a century later, the Mthatha Dam was constructed about eight kilometers upstream of the town. Mthatha became the leading administrative centre of the area, having both Anglican and Catholic cathedrals. The town became the headquarters of
960-708: The remaining thirty-six are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of forty-eight seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election. R61 (South Africa) The R61 is a long provincial route in South Africa that connects Beaufort West with Port Shepstone via Graaff-Reinet , Komani (previously Queenstown), Mthatha and Port Edward . The R61
992-560: The story of the life and times of Nelson Mandela. The three historical sites of the museum are at Mvezo, Qunu and the Bunga Building in Mthatha. In the Bunga Building is the story of the Long Walk to Freedom and an exhibition of the many gifts received by Nelson Mandela. On 2 March 2004, Umtata was renamed "Mthatha". Mthatha has 2 major taxi businesses: Uncedo Taxi Association and Border Taxi Association. These associations had
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1024-457: Was granted independence as a bantustan, a nominally independent state not recognised outside South Africa. Mthatha served as the capital under the name "Umtata". Under the Transkei regime, an airport named after the then ruler of Transkei KD Matanzima was built. On 21 May 2012, the airport was formally handed over to Lindiwe Sisulu , then Minister of Defence, by Noxolo Kiviet , then Premier of
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