Newala District Council is one of the oldest colonial councils established in 1945 by the British government under the Local Government Act of 1953 number 333. After independence the Government of Tanzania passed the colonial districts including Newala. As with other local authorities in the country, Newala District Council between 1961-1972 failed to meet the required standards due to lack of skilled staff, limited funding and lack or limited management skills. District Councils were dissolved in 1972 and replaced by ‘Regional Powers’ for a period of ten years between 1972 – 1982. Newala District Council was restored in 1982 under Act No. 7 of 1982.
Newala is one of the five districts of the Mtwara Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the west by the Masasi District, to the east by the Tandahimba District, to the south by the Ruvuma River and Mozambique, and to the north by the Tandahimba and Masasi Districts.
According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Newala District was 183,930. Most of the inhabitants are from the Makonde tribe.
Area
The district has a total land area of 2,126 square kilometers where the whole area is covered only with dry land. Newala District is the fourth largest district after Nanyumbu, Masasi and Mtwara Districts; occupies 12.7 percent of the total area of Mtwara Region. Newala District Council is located in southeastern Tanzania between longitude 39 o – 40o East and latitude 10o -11o south. It is bordered on the west by Masasi district, on the east by Tandahimba district, on the north by Lindi Region and on the south by the Ruvuma River which is also the border of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Mozambique.
Wards
The Newala District is administratively divided into 20 wards:
Chilangala
Chitekete
Chiwonga
Kitangari
Luchingu
Makote
Makukwe
Malatu
Maputi
Mchemo
Mcholi I
Mcholi II
Mkoma II
Mkunye
Mkwedu
Mnekachi
Mnyambe
Mtopwa
Namiyonga
Nanguruwe
