Length 162 km Basin area 1,553 km² Mouth Indian Ocean Mouth elevation 0 | Basin area 1,553 km² Source elevation 1,820 m Country South Africa | |
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- location Near Weza Forest Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa - location 5km S of Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | ||
Mtamvuna River is a river that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa. The river has a wide mouth and flows into the Indian Ocean just south of Port Edward. The Mtamvuna river is approximately 162 km long with a catchment area of 1,553 km². The name means "the reaper of mouthfuls" because of the damage the river does to crops during floods.
Contents
Map of Mtamvuna, South Africa
Legend says that any person failing to confess his sins before fording the river will be carried away by the water spirits. It is also supposed to be the home of mermaids, who have often been reported playing in the water on moonlit nights.
History
Historically the Mtamvuna River is the northern limit of the Pondoland region.
In 1552 a Portuguese ship ran aground at the mouth of the Mtamvuna River and a group of local people got close to the sailors wishing to trade with them.
Ecology
The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is a protected area located close to the deep Mtamvuna River Gorge. Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.