imported>Livingstone7 at 19:20, 3 June 2025

2025-06-03T19:20:15Z

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{{about|the town|the municipality formerly known as the Bizana Local Municipality|Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Mbizana
| other_name = Bizana
| pushpin_map = South Africa Eastern Cape#South Africa
| coordinates = {{coord|30.851|S|29.838|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[South Africa]]
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_name1 = [[Eastern Cape]]
| subdivision_type2 = District
| subdivision_name2 = [[Alfred Nzo District Municipality|Alfred Nzo]]
| subdivision_type3 = Municipality
| subdivision_name3 = [[Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality]]
| subdivision_type4 = Main Place
| established_title = Established
| leader_title = Councillor
| area_footnotes = <ref name="census2011">{{cite web |url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/297016 |title = Main Place Bizana |work=Census 2011}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 24.13
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| population_total = 7974
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_density_km2 = auto
| demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011)
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics1_title1 = [[Bantu peoples of South Africa|Black African]]
| demographics1_info1 = 98.5%
| demographics1_title2 = [[Coloureds|Coloured]]
| demographics1_info2 = 0.6%
| demographics1_title3 = [[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]]
| demographics1_info3 = 0.3%
| demographics1_title4 = [[White South African|White]]
| demographics1_info4 = 0.2%
| demographics1_title5 = Other
| demographics1_info5 = 0.4%
| demographics_type2 = [[First language]]s (2011)
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics2_title1 = [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]]
| demographics2_info1 = 90.3%
| demographics2_title2 = [[Zulu language|Zulu]]
| demographics2_info2 = 3.2%
| demographics2_title3 = [[South African English|English]]
| demographics2_info3 = 2.8%
| demographics2_title4 =
| demographics2_info4 =
| demographics2_title5 = Other
| demographics2_info5 = 3.8%

| timezone1 = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]]
| utc_offset1 = +2
| postal_code_type = [[List of postal codes in South Africa|Postal code]] (street)
| postal_code =
| postal2_code_type = [[Post-office box|PO box]]
| postal2_code = 4800
| area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|Area code]]
| area_code = 039
| official_name =
}}
'''Bizana''', also known by its official name '''Mbizana''' (since 2013), is a town in the [[Eastern Cape]] province of [[South Africa]]. It is the seat of the [[Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality]].

[[Winnie Mandela]], ex-wife of [[Nelson Mandela]], was born here in 1936. [[Oliver Reginald Tambo]] (popularly known as OR Tambo which the [[O. R. Tambo International Airport|international airport in Johannesburg]] is named after) was also born and grew up in this town. The town has many surrounding villages.

==Entertainment and nature==
[[File:Bizana Rurals.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Bizana rurals]]
The Wild Coast Sun casino and hotel by Sun international group is in the Bizana District, situated 56,6 kilometres from the town. The Wild Coast Sun hosted Idols SA theatre week in 2016 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://southcoastherald.co.za/191872/meet-the-idols-hopefuls/|title=Meet the Idols hopefuls at Wild Coast Sun this week|date=March 1, 2017}}</ref> Bizana is in the Wild coast area and has beautiful beaches. One of them is Silver Beach, a beautiful and peaceful beach in the Xholobeni area, where a hotel complex is located.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.getaway.co.za/travel-ideas/destinations-travel-ideas/xolobeni-mining-dreams-of-tourism/|title=Xolobeni: the value of sand and dreams of tourism|date=January 6, 2017|website=Getaway Magazine}}</ref> The controversial [[Xolobeni mine]] has been proposed to mine the area's titanium reserves.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/xolobeni-activist-defies-death-threats-to-protect-her-ancestral-land-19212076|title=Xolobeni activist defies death threats to protect her ancestral land|website=www.iol.co.za}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/mantashe-announces-survey-in-xolobeni-to-decide-on-mining-18840502|title=Mantashe announces survey in Xolobeni to decide on mining|website=www.iol.co.za}}</ref>

Bizana is on the border between [[KwaZulu-Natal]] and the [[Eastern Cape]]. The population is predominantly [[Xhosa people|Xhosa]].

==Hospitals==
Bizana has a provincial hospital, the [[Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Regional Hospital]]. The Greenville hospital, in the eTyeni area of Imizizi Administrative area, was originally developed by the Roman Catholic church in 1900. Greenville has been the subject of community protests after years of neglect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Damba-Hendrik |first=Nombulelo |date=2025-02-06 |title=125-year-old Eastern Cape hospital in desperate need of renovations |url=https://groundup.org.za/article/theres-been-no-major-upgrades-at-this-eastern-cape-hospital-for-more-than-100-years-say-residents/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=GroundUp News |language=en}}</ref>

==1986 bombing==
On 18 April [[1986 in South Africa|1986]], two people were killed and several others injured when a bomb, set by Phumzile Mayaphi, exploded at the Wild Coast Casino near Bizana. Mayaphi, an [[uMkhonto weSizwe|MK]] operative, was charged and convicted of murder and sabotage, and was sentenced to death (some sources say to 18 years) on 12 May 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Truth Commission - Special Report - TRC Final Report - Volume 2, Section 1, Chapter |url=https://sabctrc.saha.org.za/reports/volume2/chapter4/subsection5.htm |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=sabctrc.saha.org.za}}</ref> Mayaphi was released as a political prisoner in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pumzile Mayapi |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/pumzile-mayapi |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=www.sahistory.org.za}}</ref><ref>https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/politics/2018-09-26-former-umkhonto-wesizwe-operative-left-his-mark-on-sa/}</ref>

==Culture==
* Mbizana Cultural Village

==Transport==
The [[R61 (South Africa)|R61]] is the major route running through Mbizana, bypassing the town to the south. It runs roughly SE to S from [[Port Edward, South Africa|Port Edward]] in [[KwaZulu-Natal]] to [[Flagstaff, South Africa|Flagstaff]].

==Notable people==
* [[Babalo Madikizela]] – Eastern Cape MEC for Public Works
* [[Nandipha Magudumana]] – celebrity doctor
* [[Oliver Tambo]] – Anti-Apartheid Movement activist & President of the [[African National Congress]]
* [[Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya]] – footballer
* [[Winnie Madikizela-Mandela]] – Anti-Apartheid Movement activist, president of the [[African National Congress Women's League]] & former wife of [[Nelson Mandela]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Bizana, Eastern Cape }}
{{commons category|Bizana, Eastern Cape}}

{{Alfred Nzo District Municipality}}

[[Category:Populated places in the Mbizana Local Municipality]]

Bizana - Revision history

imported>Livingstone7 at 19:20, 3 June 2025