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From Table 5.1 above, about 83.7% population ofUlundi live within lIan ofa road. Primary
access to roads by settlements in Ulundi is comparatively less when compared with Edumbe
(96.6%), Upongola (90.4%), Abaqulusi (84.7%) and Nongoma (87.4%). However, the
former ranks second in terms of the length of local or access roads linking settlements to
roads.
5.4.5 Transport
The availability of access roads that are passable in 2-wheel drive vehicles is a necessary
starting point in providing accessibility for rural residents to the places to which they need to
travel. Vehicle ownership is very low in these rural areas with the result that most people
depend on taxis or buses for most oftheir transport needs.
Pursuant to the comments above, this study wants to affirm as well as make recommendations
about the bad state of the local and community roads, found in predominantly rural
municipalities such as the Ulundi Local Municipality. This challenge remains very
significant in this study as over 80% population in the study area live in the rural areas (lDP­
Zululand District Municipality, 2006).
5.4.6 Telecommunications
According to the Zululand Municipality lOP (IOP-Zululand District Municipality. 2006).
15% of households in Zululand had no access to a telephone. Since 1996 the cell phone
networks have been extended and far more people use these phones in the absence of
landlines. Most remote areas ofZululand are not well serviced with landlines by Telkom and
this has resulted in an uneven spatial distribution oftelephone connections.
With the exception of pockets of settlements with reception difficulties, almost all areas in
Ulundi enjoy cell phone coverage. This study however seeks to draw some conclusions about
cell phones [technology] as an index of development as well as raising concerns about the
question ofaffordability.
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