Mthatha
Mthatha[3] /əmˈtɑːtɑː/ ; Xhosa: [ḿ̩ˈtʰâːtʰà], alternatively rendered Umtata, is the main town 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[4] after former leader Kaiser Matanzima. Mthatha derives its name from the nearby Mthatha River which was named after the sneezewood (umtati) trees, famous for their wood and medicinal properties.[5]
Mthatha
Umtata
91.45 km2 (35.31 sq mi)
698 m (2,290 ft)
96,114
1,100/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
94.6%
2.7%
1.2%
1.0%
0.5%
85.0%
8.6%
1.1%
5.2%
047
Religion[edit]
The city is the episcopal see of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mthatha and the Anglican Diocese of Mthatha.
Economy[edit]
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 is also high in this district (64.6%), unemployment is at 65.5% and the literacy rate 42.2%.[11]
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 the Development Bank of Southern Africa (R13 million).[12] According to SA Delivery, The average annual income of a black Mthatha resident is R15,762.[13] 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, a new dawn is beckoning for Mthatha with the construction of infrastructure like BT Ngebs Mall and Mayfair Hotel.
Facilities[edit]
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.[14]