at the harbour. Iron ore, rutile (titanium oxide) and zircon are mined from the dunes close to the lagoon by Richards Bay Minerals, part of the Rio Tinto group. Local exports include coal, en bananas, aluminium, titanium and other heavy minerals, granite, ferrochrome, paper pulp, wood chips and phosphoric acid. Richards Bay is, alongside Rustenburg, South Africa's fastest-developing city. It is a fast-growing industrial centre that has been able to maintain its ecological diversity. However, like most of South Africa, the Richards Bay area is plagued by unemployment and poverty. Unemployment has been estimated at forty per cent and an undefined number of people live below the poverty line. The local government have not made enough efforts to implement projects aimed at poverty reduction. The "John Ross Parkway" (P496) which links Richards Bay to Empangeni and the N2 highway is named after "John Ross" (real name, Charles Rawden Maclean), who at the age of 15 walked from Port Natal to Maputo and back to procure medicine and supplies for the early settlers. Apart from the mining industry, tourism is a major part of the economy, with Richards Bay seen as a gateway to Zululand, an area popular with foreign tourists because of its large game parks and the diverse wildlife on offer. The Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone is one of two Industrial Development Zones within the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is a fully serviced industrial land comprising heavy, medium and light industries linked to the adjacent Port of Richards Bay. Government and politics Since municipal boundaries were newly demarcated in 2000, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), in a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other smaller parties, were in power in the uMhlatuze Municipality. However, due to the final floor crossing period and the formation of National Freedom Party, the IFP lost control of the Municipality to the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The mayor of uMhlathuze was Mr Mduduzi Mhlongo, who so happens to be the Chairperson of the African National Congress in the region. After 2021 election, Inkatha Freedom Party regain its power through a coalition with Democratic Alliance (DA) and Xolani Ngwezi became the Mayor. uMhlatuze Municipality is under King Cetshwayo District which is also led by Inkatha Freedom Party where Thamisanqa Ntuli is the mayor. Demographics White people account for 39.98 per cent of the population, followed by black Africans at 37.05 per cent,