View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
View/Open - University of Zululand Institutional Repository
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Within the <strong>Zululand</strong> District, a network <strong>of</strong> roads, which provide access to most <strong>of</strong> the rural<br />
settlements, supplement these roads. The most important railway is known as the 'coal line'.<br />
It passes through <strong>Zululand</strong> carrying coal from the Mpurnalanga mines to Richards Bay<br />
(Robinson and Associates, 1999). This is a highly specialized line and rail system, which<br />
carries 200 trucks, dedicated coal trains (23/day in 1999), which do not stop at stations within<br />
<strong>Zululand</strong> except to change crews. About 70 million tons <strong>of</strong> coal was transported along this<br />
line in 2000. Significantly, these trains return empty, as there is little bulk demand for goods<br />
in the Kwazulu-NataI and Mpumalanga hinterlands.<br />
In view <strong>of</strong> the underutilisation <strong>of</strong> the returned empty train back to Gauteng through Ulundi,<br />
this study attempts to investigate the possibility <strong>of</strong> transporting locally produced goods that<br />
can benefit from the backhaul, the empty returning trains towards the economic hub <strong>of</strong> South<br />
Africa, that is to Gauteng. The approach which this study adopts is structured to facilitate<br />
Ulundi's community economic development and retain as well as expand existing businesses.<br />
Although most tourists to the <strong>Zululand</strong> area currently use Richards Bay airport, the Ulundi<br />
airport used to have numerous non-scheduled flights associated with the provincial<br />
government, tourism and business. Vv'hen the P700 road linking Ulundi to Umfolozi Game<br />
Reserve would have been tarred, there might be a possibility <strong>of</strong> direct flights from<br />
Johannesburg to Ulundi to cater for tourist traffic. The lOP review document (ZDM)<br />
assessed the spare capacity <strong>of</strong> Ulundi Airport, and identified possibilities for its expansion.<br />
Currently, the <strong>Zululand</strong> District Municipality has been given an operational mandate by the<br />
Province to run the Ulundi airport. With the declaration <strong>of</strong> the Spirit <strong>of</strong> Emakhosini Opathe<br />
as a heritage site, more local and international tourists are likely to use the airport to the<br />
places <strong>of</strong>interest around Ulundi (IDP-<strong>Zululand</strong> District Municipality. 2006).<br />
5.3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT<br />
Until the early 1990s, <strong>Zululand</strong>'s economic base depended heavily on coal mining. supponed<br />
by agriculrure, transport, trade and government services. Formal economic activity was<br />
strongly concentrated in the then Vryheid magisterial district, from which no less than 73% <strong>of</strong><br />
the gross geographical product [GGP] <strong>of</strong> <strong>Zululand</strong> was generated. Administrative and<br />
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