Ubuhlebezwe is an isiZulu word meaning "the beauty of the land".

The name is derived from Alan Paton's novel, Cry, The Beloved Country.

[4] The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[5] The municipal council consists of twenty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.

Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fourteen wards, while the remaining thirteen are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of eighteen seats on the council.