1 ETHEKWINI METROPOLE (Durban and Surrounds)

ETHEKWINI METROPOLE (Durban and surrounds)

Introduction In December 2000, seven previous local authorities were merged into what became known as the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.

The Provincial Government’s vision “ Masisukume Sakhe “ (let us rise up and build)

Geographical area 2 297 m² Percentage area of the 1.4% province Population One third of KZN people live here Economical activities 60% of the province Bussiest port in the country.

Taxes Properties valued at R 36 000 or less are exempt from paying any rates.

Water The first 6kl of water is free to all residents and households with property values at R40 000 or less do not pay the fixed charge for water.

Electricity The first 50kwh of electricity is free to residents using less than 150kwh per month (Qualifying households will have to make application for this concession)

Major Projects

• International Convention Centre (ICC) Arena is now complete and has resulted in the ICC doubling in size. • The construction of the of the King Senzangakhona Stadium for the 2010 Fifa World Cup is running a few months ahead of schedule and that of the new King Shaka Airport will begin shortly.

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Orientation in the Metropolis

The N3 is the major route for the transportation of goods from Gauteng to the Durban habour to be exported. The exodus of thousands of holidaymakers from the interior, flocking to the sunny, golden beaches of the Indian ocean, also contribute to it being the busiest highway in the country, especially over the Easter Weekend and December holidays.

The descent from Pietermaritzburg to Durban through the valley of a thousand hills is awe inspiring. The alternative route, the R103, offers even more spectacular views of the rolling hills dotted with Zulu villages.

Valley of a thousand hills “The Valley of a Thousand Hills is the steeply dissected regions of hills and watercourses lying west of the city of Durban, formerly part of the KwaZulu homeland, and now designated as partly within the Durban (Ethekwini) Metropolitan Area” (http://www.sarpn.org.za).

Allegedly, it was named by the writer, Mark Twain, during a visit towards the end of the 1800s.

Traveling along the R103, one also passes some villages including (from north to south): Camperdown, Cato Ridge, Inchanga Park; Drummond; Hillcrest and Mariannhill. The area is steeped in Zulu culture and there are cultural villages on route i.e. PheZulu Safari Park, as well as shopping opportunities at the various craft markets. The 1000 Hills Choo-Choo is a vintage 1012 steam train. It operates between Kloof Station and Inchanga, along the railway line dating from the late 1879s. (Phone 031-3048666 or 082-3536003 to confirm schedule). Natural highlights in the area include the Inanda Dam and the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve.

Kloof Situated approximately 27 km from Durban with a altitude of 550m /feet William Field, the first customs official and magistrate of Durban, was rewarded with the farm Richmond in 1851. The family developed the area and 50 years later, residential plots were surveyed. The area was named Krantzkloof , but ‘Krantz’ was later omitted.

The Krantzkloof Nature Reserve

Mariannhill In 1882, Father Franz Phanner founded the monastery. It bears the distinction of being the largest Roman Catholic Station in the country and was named for the Saint Ann and the Virgin Mary. His mottos "Social problems can only be solved through living Christianity." and "Our mission is a part of Christ's Kingdom and therefore has no boundaries" has led the way

KwaZulu-Natal v8.5 ©Makiti Guides & Tours (Pty)ltd 3 for the women - the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood and the men who have followed him (www.catholicshop.co.za).

The Western Suburbs of Durban (Located along or in close proximity of the N3 (from west to east)

Pinetown • Situated 20km west of Durban.

Origin

• It was used as a staging post for coaches between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. • In 1849, the Wayside Inn was built and a village, named Pinetown-Estate, established. • A year later, Fort Funk was built next to the Inn for defense (today it is a small museum).

Named in honour of Sir Benjamin Pine, the lieutenant governour of Natal.

Claims to fame The largest caravan manufacturing plant in the country is among the multiple industries in the area. New Germany Situated to the north of Pinetown.

In the 1800s, Germans were stationed here to farm with cotton. However, this proved not to be successful, as in the case of Westville (see below), and they had to revert to vegetable, flower and dairy farming. The name was anglicized from the original German name ‘Neu Deutschland’

Claims to fame It’s concentration of textile industries ranks among the highest in and the country. Westville Located approximately 10km from Durban CBD on the western ridge.

Originated as a German settlement that was initiated by Jonas Bergtheil in 1848. The original idea of coffee and cotton farming had to be abandoned to try their hands at vegetable and flower gardens. Others preferred to move to other areas i.e. New Germany.

Named for Martin West, the first lieutenant-governour of Natal. Currently the area is home to a large Indian community, living in

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the traditional way of extended families in one house. Education During apartheid, the University of Durban-Westville was built. This was mainly to accommodate Indian students. After 1994, it became known as the University of KwaZulu-Natal after amalgamation with the University of Natal.

Historical Sites Berghteil House Museum • Located in Queen street • Housed in a 19th century farmhouse with exhibits on the 1848- German Settlers. Cato Manor/ Located behind and below Natal University. Mkhumbane The name refers to George Christopher Cato, Durban’s first mayor, who received this land by royal degree in 1847. By the 1940s, it was under the ownership of Indian settlers who leased small plots of land to Africans.

‘Battle of Cato Manor’ (1949) It eventually led to shantytowns and within due course it was called Mkhumbane by the Zulu. The name refers to the stream running through it. The Zulu became more and more aggravated by the Indian landowners and in January 1949, they resorted to violence and arson, leaving 50 Indians dead and another 500 injured. On the Zulu side, there were about 550 injuries and 87 casualties. The government then dispossessed Indians of their land and established an emergency camp in the area.

‘Cato Manor Riots’ of June 1959 However, nearly ten years later, the camp was over populated and the municipality implemented to forced removals. Umlazi and KwaMashu were the designated areas for the resettlement. Again, the Zulu was up in arms and the riots eventually culminated in the massacre of nine policemen.

Mkhumbane Development Project The area became desolate by the late 1960s. It was only after the dismantling of apartheid in 1994 that people moved back and a large informal settlement Soon it became the site of a large informal settlement again. The project is aimed at assisting and creating a more conducive environment for the inhabitants.

The N3 final reaches the CBD of Durban.

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The N2

Another important approach to Durban CBD is via the N2 from the south. It crosses the uMkomaas (Mkomazi) River into the Ethekwini Metro. The southern suburbs along this route include the following towns, villages and beaches:

Umgababa Named for the river Following the Second World War titanium was mind here, however it was terminated due to polluting the sea.

The following Doonside beaches are passed Karridene on route to Illovo Amanzimtoti Winkelspruit Kingsburg Warner Beach Doonside

Amanzimtoti Altitude 24m /79 feet

Origin

• For decades this beautiful region was incorporated within a colonial-decreed “Native Reserve”. • In 1928, it was surveyed as a white residential when it was separated from the reserve. • In December 1897, the railway was opened. • In 1898, the first hotel was constructed but the following year it was destroyed by a fire.. • The town received municipal status in September 1952 • Name - When King Shaka tasted the waters of this river, he allegedly said, “Kanti Amanzi Mtoti”, which means “indeed the waters are sweet”.

Isipingo Located south of Durban’s Airport Named for the Isipingo River that refers either to cat-thorns growing on its bank or to its serpentine nature. It has a large Indian population. Homestead of Dick King is located here and currently used by the local traffic department. (read more about this British hero under Durban’s history, “Britain respond”)

The Durban International Airport

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The N2 interchanges with the N3 at the Westville Four-Level Interchange (also known as the EB Cloete or “Spaghetti junction”, due to its complexity. The N2, is also known as the “Outer Ring Road”, as it runs through the entire city, on its way to the north coast. (Durban Historical sites and attractions are discussed in Component 2 of the Ethekwini Metro). Towns and villages north of Durban (starting from Durban)

KwaMashu • Located 15km north of Durban. • Between 1958 and 1969, this large black township was created to accommodate the Zulu that was forcefully removed from Cato Manor. • The name can be traced to Sir Marshall Campbell, the sugar magnate. ‘Kwa’ meaning ‘place of’ and ‘Mashu’ the corruption of Marshall.

Phoenix • Located 20km north of Durban. • In 1858, Daniel Lindley started a mission station on this site. Claims to fame − Gandhi initiated the community farm for Indians with equal remuneration for all. − In 1904, Gandhi also started to publish his weekly newspaper Indian Opinion from here. − The Dalai Lama visited the community and expressed appreciation for the no-racial democracy as 'tribute to the Mahatma and example for the world to follow'. • A considerate amount has been donated by the Government for up liftment programmers.

Mount Edgecombe • The village developed around the local sugar mill. • Named after a town in the United Kingdom.

Verulam • Situated on the banks of the Umdloti River. • In 1850, the Earl of Verulam brought Methodist immigrants from the UK to Natal and they settled on small holdings set aside for them. • However, these holdings were later consolidated and planted with sugarcane. • Today, the town’s residents are mainly Indians. Attractions and sites of interest • The Shri Gapalall temple dating from 1913. • The Hazelmeer Nature Reserve.

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DURBAN Population: Altitude: 16m / 52 feet Durban and surrounds Rainfall: Region

Prehistory

• Durban and surrounds, as well as the Zululand coast up north, was covered by the Indian Ocean about 100 million years ago. • Eventually, the waters of the ocean receded and revealed the bay and its two sandy promontories: - The Point inthe north - The Bluff in the south • Through the ages, rivers and streams, such as today’s, uMbilo and uMhlatuzana rivers, washed sand into the bay, causing it to pile up.

Lala group

• The fresh water and lush vegetation around the bay attracted, among others, a few clans of the ancient Lala group. • They were displaced from their territory in the interior, and started making a living here by hunting, fishing with traps in the lagoon and planting crops (away from the coastal forest). • They made a living by hunting, fishing with traps in the lagoon and planting crops away from the coastal forest. • The Bluff was densely covered with coastal forest and referred to as siBubulungu (“a long big thing”). • They called the lagoon Thekwini.

Vasco da Gama

• The Portuguese navigator past the bay on Christmas Day in 1497. • To celebrate the occasion, he named the region Terra do Natal (“land of the Nativity”). • Survivors of ship wrecks where the first European men to walk the beaches.

Lieutenants James King and Francis Farewell

• By the early 19th century reports reached the Cape about King Shaka and the growing Zulu Nation. • They were located approximately 200km north of the bay. • This prompted some of the merchants to search for a harbour along the Natal or Zululand coast to serve as a trading post with the Zulu.

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• One such expedition was led by lieutenants James King and Francis Farewell in 1823. • They went as far as St. Lucia Bay with their sail ship, the Salisbury. Lucia Bay. • On their way home they anchored at the entrance due to the risk of running into sandbank in the Bay of Natal. • However, before they started their journey home, a sudden wind blew up and forced their brig right across the bar. • Once inside, they saw the potential of the bay, the only barrier being the shallow entrance to the bay. • They anchored at what is today Salisbury Island, named for their brig. • They completed their survey to produce the first charts of what was to become Port Natal.

A trading post established

• The Cape Government did not show much enthusiasm for the reports and did not give any support for venture. • Even so, Lieutenant Farewell started their journey back to the Bay of Natal with the Julia and Antelope in 1824. • Also aboard were Dick King, Alexander Biggar, John Cane and Nathaniel Isaacs. • They were looking into starting trading settlement financed by private enterprise. • The first trading post was a 4m ² wattle-and-daubs, built in the bush, on a clearing that was made. • Meeting King Shaka was one of their main objectives, and when they came into contact with him, they were granted some 9000ha around the bay. • This remained the main trading post for hides, skins and ivory for many years.

A Zulus garrison close to the trading post

• King Shaka made sure to keep an eye on the new arrivals and a garrison was stationed close by. • The name of the garrison was very appropriate uKangel' amaNkengane (‘beware of the vagabonds’). • In 1831the trading post was raided by King Dingane.

More settlers arrived

• Within due time, the relationship with the Zulu was restored and encouraged new arrivals. • By 1835, there were about 35 men. • Among them was Allen Gardiner, a Royal Navy commander, who met with 15 other settlers on 23 June 1835, and consequently a town was laid out. • Gardiner's efforts to involve the Cape colony’s government with the settlers of Natal proved to be fruitless and they remained isolated.

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Name • They decided to name it D’ Urban in honour of Sir Benjamin D'Urban, governor of the Cape Colony at the time. • Later it simply became ‘Durban’ • The city is also sometimes tagged as ‘Soweto-on-Sea’ referring to the large influx of black holidaymakers after Apartheid was abolished.

Arrival of the Voortrekkers

• Between 1837-1838, the Voortrekkers arrived in Natal and Piet Retief visited the community in Port Natal on his way to negotiate with King Dingane for land.. • The settlers started feeling more secure and the first residential stands were sold in D’Urban in November 1837. • However, after the murder of Piet Retief and his party and Mgungundlovu on 6 February 1838, the settlement of D’Urban was attacked and plundered by the Zulu. • The settlers were able to take refuge on Salisbury Island, where the Zulus could not follow. • Following the defeat of King Dingane’s army at Blood River on 16 December 1838, the first streets were laid out a year later and the town now known as Durban. • Alexander Biggar was appointed the first landdrost (magistrate) of Durban

Voortrekker Republic of Natalia

• In 1838 the Voortrekker republic of Natalia was established in Pietermaritzburg, • By 1840, Port Natal (Durban) had joined the new republic, which then comprised three districts - Pietermaritzburg, Port Natal and Weenen. • The Voortrekkers also surveyed 121 residential stands at Congella, which were then sold in June 1840.

Congella, near present-day Maydon Wharf, is a corruption of the first part of the name of Zulu garrison that had to keep an eye on the foreigners, uKangel' amaNkengane (‘beware of the vagabonds’).

• The British settlers at Durban were happy to accept the protection offered by this Voortrekker presence.

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Britain respond

All of a sudden, Britain decided to intervene in 1842. Captain Thomas Smith was sent to bring The Voortrekker Republic of Natalia, including Port Natal. under British rule. The Voortrekkers besieged the soldiers that was sent in a camp that later became known as the Old Fort on the Point. It was during this siege that rider Dick King emerged as a hero.

Dick King traveled almost 1000km in ten Days.42 on horseback, from Durban to Grahamstown to summon help.

The Voortrekkers did not really want to fight the British and decided to submit to British authority after the siege was lifted on 26 June 1842. Voortrekkers weren’t looking for war against Britain. Many of the Voortrekkers then crossed the Drakensberg again into the Free State. Natal then became a dependency of the Cape Colony and Martin West was appointed lieutenant governor. On 31 May 1844, the territory was formally annexed to the Cape Colony. The settlers now felt reassured with the British protection and by May 1854, 1204 British and foreigners had settled in Port Natal. A year after the Durban Philharmonic Societywas founded and two years after the introduction of horse racing - the township was proclaimed a borough with a municipal area of 33 km. George Cato, who surveyed the town, became the first mayor. (Cato Manor and Cato Ridge were later named after him). Durban became a city in 1935. The metropolitan boundaries were recently redrawn following the countrywide local government restructuring process launched with the appointment of the Demarcation Board in February 1999. South Africa's third-largest city is also an industrial centre of major significance and the principal port for general cargo.

Durban Harbour

Ensuring that the harbour is deep enough • The entrance to Natal Bay deepened with a dredge to a depth of 3m. • By 1898, the depth was increased by another 3 m. • Approximately 10 million tons of sand had been removed during this period. • Two piers, both 61 m long and running from the Point and Bluff respectively into the sea, had to contain the sandy deposits by rivers and currents.

• Although the current channel 13 m deep, continuous dredging is required to allow passage of vessels. • The width of the channel is 144m. • Currently, Durban’s port is being upgraded and the harbour entrance widened.

Claims to fame • Today, Durban's harbour is South Africa's biggest and busiest.

Facilities The harbour has all the facilities necessary to handle large container vessels:

Quayage 15 km The Prince Edward graving dock (A dry dock where the 352 m hulls of ships are repaired and maintained). Capacity Pre-cooling stores 10 500 tons Grain silo 40 000 tons Sunflower silo 28 000 tons A bulk sugar export terminal 400 000 tons

Oil Tankers of more than 200 000 tons are handled at an off-shore oil terminal. From here, the oil is either delivered to two refineries in Durban or by using a pipe for inland

Cargo

An extensive system transport cargo from the harbour.

By rail − Links Bayhead (Durban) and City Deep (Johannesburg). − These are the two largest container terminals in the country. − Several container trains runs in both directions daily By road − The N3 and others are also used to transport goods to the interior. Durban Airport − Handles freight and passengers, both domestic and international.

Salisbury island (named for the sailing ship that was used for Farewell and King in 1823). Hosts a Naval base Provides quayage for larger vessels

Railways • South Africa's first railway train ran in Durban in 1860, between the town and the Point. • Components of the rain and steam locomotive was imported from Britain and assembled in Durban by the driver Henry Jacobs. • The first class fare was one shilling, that for second class, a sixpence. • A team of oxen was always on standby in the event that the locomotive broke down.

Tramways and busses

• In the 1879s, The first omnibus service for the people of Durban was introduced in the 1870s. • In 1881, a horse-drawn tramway replaced the above and twenty years later was electrified. ,an electric tram system in 1902. • In the 1940s, trolley busses was used, but diesel busses nowadays do the job. • The Minah bus service, provides transport between the CBD, the beachfront, Berea and Morningside. It also follows other routes to the suburbs. • Taxi ranks are located at the City Hall and beach front.

Resources and further reading

Ethekwini Municipality Medium Term Budget 2007/2008 to 2009/2010. (www.info.gov.za/speeches)

Budget policy speech delivered by KwaZulu-Natal Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Michael Mabuyakhulu, MPP, 22 July 2004. (http://www.durban.gov.za)

Bulpin, TV. Discovering Soutern Africa. Tafelberg Publishers Lt. 2001 (sixth edition).

Derwent, Sue. KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Sites. A Guide to some Great places.David Philip Publishers. 2006.

Erasmus, BPJ. On route in South Africa. Jonathan Ball Publishers. 2004.

DK. Eyewitness Travel-South Africa. Dorling Kindersley Limited (London). 2007.

Illustrated Guide to the Game Parks and Nature Reserves of South Africa. Readers’ Digest. 1987.

Kellet, F and Williams, L. Footprint South Africa. Footprint. July 2006.

The Rough Guide to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Rough Guides. June 2005.

Van Dyk, P. Explore KwaZulu-Natal. Izimpilo C&S Publishers. 2004.

Visit and Explore South Africa CD version 2.3

Maps

Braby’s KwaZulu-Natal Tourist Map. 2006/2007.

The Larger Touring Atlas of South Africa (Sunbrid) . Dick Wilkins.2001.

Internet http://1000hills.kzn.org.za http://www.catholicshop.co.za - Mariannhill http://www.dlg.gpg.gov.za (Vuna Awards) www.ethekwini.gov.za www.indexmundi.com (altitude) http://www.sarpn.org.za (KWANYUSWA: THE RURAL TIDE MEETS THE URBAN SHORE) www.thefreedictionary.com www.wikipedia.com

Visits and photos

Exploration-research Field Trips. Makiti Guides & Tours (Pty) Ltd. Annually : 2007 AA maps. Road Atlas of South Africa. AA Publication. Fifth edition, revised 2006.

Compiled and researched by Maria Louise Kruger (2008)