Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality lies in Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal, with 133,032 people at the 2022 census (110,925 in 2011) across 1,670 km². The seat is Ixopo. The municipality was renamed Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality in May 2025, after ANC struggle veteran Johannes Phungula; both names refer to the same area.
The old name, Ubuhlebezwe, is isiZulu for “the beauty of the land” — a phrase drawn from Alan Paton’s novel Cry, the Beloved Country, which opens in the hills around Ixopo.
Quick Facts
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District | Harry Gwala |
| Seat | Ixopo |
| Status | Local Municipality (14 wards) |
| Area | 1,670 km² |
| Population (2011) | 110,925 |
| Population (2022) | 133,032 |
Towns and Villages in Ubuhlebezwe
| Place | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Ixopo | Seat | 14,929 |
| Alderly | Town/village | — |
| Cartriff | Town/village | — |
| Chatwell | Town/village | — |
| Cranswick | Town/village | — |
| Cromwell | Town/village | — |
| Crystal Waters | Town/village | — |
| Fairfield | Town/village | — |
Other settlements and localities in the municipality:
- Ferrby
- Finchley
- Highflats
- Hlokozi
- Islington
- Ivanhoe
- Joubertstroom
- Lockwood Hall
- Longlands
- Matshetshisa
- Mkunya
- Mpesheya
- Mphesheya
- Ndonyane
- New Garret
- Pampa
- Radley
- Saint Elmo
- Saint Isidore
- Saint Mirlarm
- Wycliffe
Geography
The municipality sits in rolling Midlands grassland between Umzimkhulu to the south-west and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to the south, within Harry Gwala District. Ixopo itself lies on the N2/R612 corridor south of Pietermaritzburg, in mist-belt country known for dairy farms and timber plantations.
Demographics
Population rose from 110,925 at the 2011 census to 133,032 in 2022, a gain of about 20%. Zulu is the dominant first language at over nine in ten residents. The council has 14 wards, elected alongside proportional representation members.
Economy and Local Life
Ixopo functions as the area’s trade and service centre, with the surrounding wards given over to farming, forestry and grazing typical of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Dairy and timber are the two largest commercial land uses outside the town itself, supported by a well-established network of local produce markets and sawmills that supply Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
History
Ixopo grew as a farming and trading centre for the surrounding Midlands from the late 19th century, later gaining wider fame as the setting for the opening chapters of Alan Paton’s 1948 novel Cry, the Beloved Country. The post-1994 local municipality took the name Ubuhlebezwe, drawn from the novel’s Zulu phrasing for “the beauty of the land,” before its May 2025 rename to Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality — a change residents have been slow to adopt in everyday speech, where “Ixopo” and “Ubuhlebezwe” both remain common shorthand for the area. The renaming followed a wider national pattern of local municipalities being renamed for struggle-era figures, a process that has touched several other KwaZulu-Natal councils in recent years. Local government correspondence and signage are being updated gradually rather than all at once, so both names can be expected to appear on official documents for some time.
Getting There
Ixopo sits on the R612, with links north to Pietermaritzburg and south toward Highflats and the Ugu coast. The nearest airport is Pietermaritzburg, about an hour’s drive north. Long-distance coaches on the Durban–Kokstad route stop at Ixopo, and local taxis run daily to the surrounding villages and to Pietermaritzburg.
FAQ
What is the seat of Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality?
Ixopo.
Has Ubuhlebezwe been renamed?
Yes — it became Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality in May 2025.
What is the population of Ubuhlebezwe?
133,032 at the 2022 census, up from 110,925 in 2011.
Which district does Ubuhlebezwe belong to?
Harry Gwala District Municipality.
What does the name Ubuhlebezwe mean?
“The beauty of the land” in isiZulu, a phrase drawn from Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country.
What is the local economy built on?
Dairy farming, timber and Ixopo’s role as a regional trade centre.