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KWA ZULU NATAL

Welcome to the KwaZulu Natal

Known as the Zulu Kingdom

Appropriately named "South Africa's Garden Province ", the lush and green province forms the east coast of South Africa from the Mozambique boundary southwards to Port Edward.

Enticing, spectacular and fascinating, the province is a subtropical coastline, with savannah heading east towards majestic Drakensberg mountain range in the west. KwaZulu Natal's beaches are along the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and are some of South Africa's most popular holiday spots. It is a multi-cultural showpiece destination.

Kwa-Zulu Natal is also known as the Zulu Kingdom and has eight different destinations, each offering its own unqiue set of experiences. It is a kaleidoscope showing you natural wonders, ultra-modern facilities, fascinating glimpses of a multi-coloured people, a history rich in heroic deeds, bloody battles and ultimately reconciliation, and this is all set against a majestic backdrop of sun, sea, mountains and sky.

Durban is a sophisticated cosmopolitan city of over three million people. A city where east meets west it is known as the home of Africa's best managed, busiest port. It is an exciting city in which to play, shop, experience the nightlife and relax. It is a city in which to do business also. The world-class International Convention Centre has hosted an historic line-up of events including conferences of a global scale. Also known as the playground of the Zulu Kingdom, there are so many things to keep you busy in Durban, such as a marine world, the wharf, the BAT centre, fine restaurants, entertainment and shopping, craft markets, beachfront stalls, theatres and clubs, township tours, nature sanctuaries and parks, the Botanical Gardens and so much more. You can sail, swim, run, play tennis or stroll along or relax on the sun-drenched beaches.

Battlefields - Shaka, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and General Louis Botha were all famous military strategists who walked through this place many years ago. Lone forts and small graveyards on these undulating landscapes with rocky outcrops make visible the secrets and sorrows of great battles, sighed and whispered by the wind. The Battlefield sites, historic towns and national monuments are testimony to the critical, blood-soaked conflicts which are the legacy of this place. Tours can be taken of the Battlesites, but if you wish to take on a more adventurous route you can go white-water rafting down the rapids of the mighty Tugela, sail on the Chelmsford Dam or hunt in the designated hunting reserves. This region offers all these pursuits.

The elephant coast is a pristine eco-wonderland boasting 21 different ecological systems. Some of the world's highest natural dunes, brilliant coral reefs, fever tree and palm savannahs, papyrus swamps and rolling acacia bushveld can be found in this land of natural and cultural diversity. It is home to the Zulu and Tsonga people as well as the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, declared South Africa's first World Heritage Site. Accommodation ranges from luxury game lodges to Zulu homestays and camping. The sea, lakes and beach provide more adventure. Scuba diving and snorkelling enable you to watch the 1200 different species of marine life abounding in these waters. And taking a turtle tours is a must. Angling is a great sport, whether from the 200 kilometers of unspoilt beach, on the lakes or the deep sea. While at sea you might even be lucky enough to spot a whale or two. Historical venues are the Ghost Mountains and Dingaan's grave. The Zulu and Tsonga people will share these places with you and tell you more about their history as well as their traditional way of life.

The South Coast is a very popular holiday destination, with it's sub-tropical forests, blue lagoons, golden beaches, rocky coves, warm Indian Ocean and sunny weather. There are three beaches which have International 'Blue Flag' status, namely Ramsgate, Marina Beach and Lucien. The South Coast is also known to many as 'The Golf Coast' because of its nine excellent 18-hole golf course, two of white are rated amongst the top 12 in the country. The Umtamvuna Nature Reserv conserves plants found nowhere else in the world, and you can view 400 species of birds along this coastline. Scuba diving is a popular past time and you will find excellent diving areas at Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks. You can also go abseiling in the Oribi Gorge. The scenery around here is absolutely breathtaking.

The North Coast is also known as the Dolphin Coast and stretches from Zimbali to the mighty Tugela River. You will find the bottle nose dolphin frolicking in these waters close to shore, all year round. There are so many things to do here, such as dining at fine restaurants, partying at the nightclubs, taking a golf course or taking to the air in a microlight. You can stroll along the coast on horseback during low tide, or enjoy some angling. As for the history aficionados you will be interested to know that Shaka Zulu is buried at Kwa-Dukuza, and Albert Luthuli, the Nobel laureate, is buried nearby. You can visit historic battle sites such as the Ultimatum Tree, Ndondakusuka or Fort Pearson, or you can walk a 'muti' trail through the Harold Johnson Nature Reserve. The Zulu people are indigenous to this part of the land, but the North Coast is also home to a large Indian community. You will find Indian temples and you can sample their spicy food.

Pietermaritzburg Midlands is home to quaint antique shops, markets, restaurants, art galleries, museums and a casino. This is where the annual Duzi Canoe Marathon starts, as is beginning and end for the Comrades Marathon. Take a picnic to the magnificent Howick Falls, or try your hand at some trout or bass fishing. For the more adventurous you can paraglide off Bulwer Mountain or slide across the canopy of Karkloof's indigenous forests.

The Drakensberg Mountains are named by the Zulu 'Ukhahlamba' or the 'Barrier of Spears' and by the Dutch Voortrekkers 'The Dragon Mountain'. With their awe-inspiring basalt cliffs, snowcapped in winter, towering over riverine bush, lush yellowwood forests and cascading waterfalls, the Drakensberg Mountains form a massive barrier separating Kwa-Zulu Natal from the Kingdom of Lesotho. The only road access is via Sani Pass, which at the top boasts the highest pub on Africa, at 3000 metres above sea level. This 243 000 hectare mountainous region known as the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, has been preserved and venerated for eons since the San people or bushmen roamed these slopes. These mountains combine sheer natural beauty with a wealth of biological diversity. Tens of thousands of paintings depicting the daily life of the bushmen can be found on the rock faces. In December 2000 the park received international recognition and was declared KwaZulu Natal's second World Heritage Site. The adventurous may try climbing it or abseiling, white water rafting or taking a helicopter ride to view the mountains from above. There are also hiking routes for the less adventurous where you can view the large variety of animals and plantlife.

KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal (/kwɑːˌzuːluː nəˈtɑːl/, also referred to as KZN; nicknamed "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean and sharing borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city is Durban. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, with slightly fewer residents than Gauteng.

Two areas in KwaZulu-Natal have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. These areas are extremely scenic as well as important to the surrounding ecosystems.

During the 1830s and early 1840s, the northern part of what is now KwaZulu-Natal was established as the Zulu Kingdom while the southern part was, briefly, the Boer Natalia Republic before becoming the British Colony of Natal in 1843. The Zulu Kingdom remained independent until 1879.

KwaZulu-Natal is the birthplace of many notable figures in South Africa's history, such as Albert Luthuli, the first non-white and the first person from outside Europe and the Americas to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1960); Pixley ka Isaka Seme, the founder of the African National Congress (ANC) and South Africa's first black lawyer; John Langalibalele Dube, the ANC's founding president; Harry Gwala, ANC member and anti-apartheid activist; Mac Maharaj, grammy award winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, grammy award winning DJ Black Coffee, ANC member, anti-apartheid activist and Little Rivonia Trial defendant; Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP); Anton Lembede, the founding president of the ANC Youth League; Jacob Zuma, the former President of South Africa; Bhambatha, a 19th-century Zulu chief who became an anti-apartheid icon; and Shaka Zulu.

Geography

A view of the Mngeni River valley near Howick Falls

At around 92,100 km2 (35,600 sq mi) in area, KwaZulu-Natal is roughly the size of Portugal. It has three different geographic areas and is the eastern most province in the country. The lowland region along the Indian Ocean coast is extremely narrow in the south, widening in the northern part of the province, while the central Natal Midlands consists of an undulating hilly plateau rising toward the west. Two mountainous areas, the western Drakensberg Mountains and northern Lebombo Mountains form, respectively, a solid basalt wall rising over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) beside Lesotho border and low parallel ranges of ancient granite running southward from Eswatini. The area's largest river, the Tugela, flows west to east across the center of the province.

The coastal regions typically have subtropical thickets and deeper ravines; steep slopes host some Afromontane Forest. The midlands have moist grasslands and isolated pockets of Afromontane Forest. The north has a primarily moist savanna habitat, whilst the Drakensberg region hosts mostly alpine grassland.

The province contains rich areas of biodiversity of a range of flora and fauna. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, along with uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and Ndumo, are wetlands of international importance for migratory species and are designated as Ramsar sites. South Africa signed the 1971 Ramsar Convention to try to conserve and protect important wetlands because of their importance to habitats and numerous species.

The former Eastern Cape enclave of the town of Umzimkulu and its hinterland have been incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal following the 12th amendment of the Constitution of South Africa. The amendment also made other changes to the southern border of the province.

The northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude traverses the province from the coast at Hibberdene (30°34′35″S 30°34′35″E) to northeast Lesotho.

The province became the first to include a portion of road that is made of partial plastic, the equivalent of nearly 40,000 recycled milk cartons.

Climate

Upland savannah near Pietermaritzburg Mangrove forest at the Umgeni River estuary in Durban

KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with a minimum of 21 °C (70 °F), dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23 °C (73 °F) with a minimum of 11 °C (52 °F). Temperature drops towards the hinterland, with Pietermaritzburg being similar in the summer, but much cooler in the winter. Ladysmith in the Tugela River Valley reaches 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer but may drop below freezing point on winter evenings. The Drakensberg can experience heavy winter snow, with light snow occasionally experienced on the highest peaks in summer. The Zululand north coast has the warmest climate and highest humidity, supporting many sugar cane farms around Pongola.

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Sports

Sports

Provincial sport teams

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Borders

KwaZulu-Natal borders the following areas of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho:

Domestically, it borders the following provinces:

See also: Parks of KwaZulu-Natal, List of cities and towns in KwaZulu-Natal, and List of municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal

The KwaZulu-Natal Province is divided into one metropolitan municipality and ten district municipalities. The district municipalities are in turn divided into 44 local municipalities. The local seat of each district municipality is given in parentheses:

In 2012, the Ingonyama Trust owns 32% of the land in KwaZulu-Natal, in many municipalities. This amounts to about three million hectares, occupied by over 4 million people. The Zulu king is the chairman of the Trust.

Metropolitan municipalities

District municipalities

Coastline

A beach on the North Coast

The coastline is dotted with small towns, many of which serve as seasonal recreational hubs. The climate of the coastal areas is humid and subtropical, comparable to southern Florida in the United States, but not quite as hot and rainy in the summer. As one moves further north up the coast towards the border of Mozambique, the climate becomes almost purely tropical. North of Durban is locally referred to as "The North Coast", while south is "The South Coast". The Kwazulu-Natal Tourist board includes towns such as Margate, Port Shepstone, Scottburgh and Port Edward in its definition of the South Coast, while Ballito, uMhlanga, Zimbali and Salt Rock are North Coast resort towns.

San Lameer Resort

Beaches of world-class quality are to be found along virtually every part of South Africa's eastern seaboard, with some of the least-developed gems found in the far southern and far northern ends of the province. Marina Beach (and its adjoining resort San Lameer) was recognised in 2002 as a Blue Flag beach.

Some visitors come for the annual late autumn or early winter phenomenon on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of the "sardine run". Referred to as "the greatest shoal on earth", the sardine run occurs when millions of sardines migrate from their spawning grounds south of the southern tip of Africa northward along the Eastern Cape coastline toward KwaZulu-Natal. They follow a route close inshore, often resulting in many fish washing up on beaches. The huge shoal of tiny fish can stretch for many kilometres; it is preyed upon by thousands of predators, including game fish, sharks, dolphins and seabirds. Usually, the shoals break up and the fish disappear into deeper water around Durban. Scientists have been unable to answer many questions surrounding this exceptional seasonal event.

Interior

The interior of the province consists largely of rolling hills from the Valley of a Thousand Hills to the Midlands. Their beauty has inspired literature. Alan Paton, in the novel Cry, the Beloved Country, wrote:

There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles (11 km) into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear the forlorn crying of the titihoya, one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of the Umzimkulu, on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and Griqualand East.

History

Further information: Zulu Kingdom, Natalia Republic, Colony of Natal, Natal Province, and KwaZulu

On Christmas Day 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama saw the coast of Natal and named the site after the Portuguese word for Christmas, Natal. The Nguni branch of the Bantu occupied this area from the early 1300s[10]

The first European settlers, mostly British, established Port Natal, a trading post. They made almost no attempt to develop the interior, whose inhabitants had been decimated by the Zulu king, Shaka. The Afrikaner Voortrekkers entered the area via the Drakensberg passes in 1837. These Afrikaners defeated the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838 and thereafter established the Republic of Natal. Thus, the territory was once part of a short-lived Boer republic between 1839 and 1843 until its annexation by Britain. Many Afrikaner inhabitants left for the interior after the annexation and were replaced by immigrants, mainly from Britain.

From 1860 onwards, increasing numbers of Indians, mainly Tamils,[11] were brought in by the British mainly to work in the sugar plantations on the coast. The colony acquired Zululand (the area north of the Tugela River) after the Zulu War of 1879. The lands north of the Buffalo River were added in 1902. Boer forces entered the area during the South African War (1899 to 1902) – also known as the second Boer War – and laid siege to Ladysmith. They failed to build on their initial advantage and for three months the line between the opposing forces followed the course of the Tugela River. In 1910, the colony became a province of the Union of South Africa and in 1961 of the Republic of South Africa.

When the homeland of KwaZulu, which means "Place of the Zulu" was re-incorporated into the Natal province after the end of apartheid in 1994, the province of Natal, which had existed between 1910 and 1994, was renamed KwaZulu-Natal. The province is home to the Zulu monarchy; the majority population speak Zulu. It is the only province in South Africa that has the name of its dominant ethnic group as part of its name. As with Eastern Cape, most White South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal are of British descent and less than a quarter of whites in the province are of Boer/Afrikaner descent.[12][13][14]

Provincial coat of arms

The lion and wildebeest supporters are symbols of, respectively, KwaZulu and Natal, the regions joined to create KwaZulu-Natal. Besides its importance as a symbol of the Zulu monarchy, the lion is also featured in the state emblems of the India and the United Kingdom which together represent the three largest people groups in KwaZulu-Natal and also represents the unity between them. The zig-zag stripe represents the Drakensberg which is green in summer, but snowcapped in winter and the star represents the Star of Bethlehem, due to Vasco da Gama naming the region "Natalia" (a reference to the birth of Christ) on Christmas Day in 1497. The strelitzia flower on the shield symbolizes the province's beauty, while the assegai and knobkierrie behind the shield represent protection and peace. The base of the crown element is a type of headdress traditionally worn by Zulu elders that represents wisdom and maturity; the element itself is a Zulu-style grass hut. The motto is Masisukume Sakhe, Zulu for "Let us stand up and build".

Law and government

Law and government

The KwaZulu-Natal parliament building, located in Pietermaritzburg

Provincial government

KwaZulu-Natal's provincial government sits in Pietermaritzburg. The foundation stone of the new legislative building was laid on 21 June 1887, to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The building was completed two years later. On 25 April 1889, the Governor of Natal, Sir Arthur Havelock, opened the first Legislative Council session in the new building.

This was the former site of St Mary's Church, built in the 1860s. The congregation built a new church in 1884 at the corner of Burger Street and Commercial Road. The old building was demolished in 1887 to provide space for the legislative complex.

When governance was granted to Natal in 1893, the new Legislative Assembly took over the chamber used by the Legislative Council since 1889. Further extensions to the parliamentary building were made. The building was unoccupied until 1902, when it was used without being officially opened, due to the country's being engulfed in the Anglo-Boer war. The war forced the Legislative Assembly to move the venue of its sittings, as its chamber was used as a military hospital.

The Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council buildings have both been protected as provincial landmarks. They formed a colonial Parliament of two houses: a Council of 11 nominated members and an Assembly of 37 elected members. The Natal Parliament was disbanded in 1910 when the Union of South Africa was formed, and the Assembly became the meeting place of the Natal Provincial Council. The council was disbanded in 1986.

The Provincial Legislature consists of 80 members.

Current composition

Composition of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature

The African National Congress (ANC) holds power in the provincial legislature, winning the province with a convincing overall majority in South Africa's 2019 elections. After the election, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) regained the title of the official opposition in the province.

Zulu monarchy

KwaZulu-Natal is the home to the Zulu monarch, currently King Misuzulu Zulu kaZwelithini. As of 2015, the king is provided a stipend of 54 million South African rands by the provincial governmentHe is also the chairman of the Ingonyama Trust, which controls 32% of the area of the province.

Economy

Sugar cane in Midlands South.

KwaZulu-Natal has the second largest regional economy in the country after Gauteng. Durban is a rapidly growing urban area and is by most measures the busiest port in Africa. A good railway network links the city to other areas of Southern Africa. Sugar refining is Durban's main industry. Sheep, cattle, dairy, citrus fruits, corn, sorghum, cotton, bananas, and pineapples are also raised. There is an embryonic KwaZulu-Natal wine industry. Other industries (located mainly in and around Durban) include textile, clothing, chemicals, rubber, fertiliser, paper, vehicle assembly and food-processing plants, tanneries, and oil refineries.

To the north, Newcastle is the province's industrial powerhouse, with Mittal Steel South Africa (previously ISPAT/ISCOR) and the Karbochem synthetic rubber plant dominating the economy. In 2002, Newcastle became the largest producer of chrome chemicals in Africa with the completion of a chrome-chemical plant, a joint-venture project between Karbochem and German manufacturing giant Bayer. Other large operations include a diamond-cutting works, various heavy engineering concerns, the Natal Portland Cement (NPC) slagment cement factory, and the Newcastle Cogeneration Plant (old Ingagane Power Station). This was recommissioned as Africa's first gas-fired power station by Independent Power Southern Africa (IPSA), and it supplies the Karbochem Plant with electricity. The textile industry is a major employer in the Newcastle area, with over 100 factories belonging to ethnic Taiwanese and Chinese industrialists. Maize, livestock and dairy farmers operate on the outskirts of the city. Coal is also mined in the Newcastle area.

Offshore mining of heavy mineral sands including minerals with a concentration of significant economic importance at several locations, such as rutile, ilmenite and zircon are threatening the marine ecology of KwaZulu-Natal's coast, including the Tugela Banks; the fishing economy of the prawn and nurse fisheries are also threatened.

Ecology tourism is increasingly important to the economy of KwaZulu-Natal. The area's rich biodiversity and efforts at conservation have been recognised. Tourists have come to see the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These two major parks and that of Ndumo have wetlands of international importance listed as Ramsar sites for conservation.

Civil society and politics

Prominent civil society organisations based in the province of KwaZulu-Natal include: Abahlali baseMjondolo (shackdwellers') movement, the Diakonia Council of Churches,  the Right2Know campaign, and the Unemployed People's Movement.

Evictions and political controversy

The government in KwaZulu Natal has been under sustained controversy for their eviction of shackdwellers and mistreatment by provincial police structures that has resulted in more than 200 arrests of Abahlali members in the first last three years of its existence and repeated police brutality in people's homes, in the streets and in detention.

See also: Attack on Kennedy Road

The attack on Kennedy Road informal settlement by an armed mob in 2009 in [Durban] put local and provincial government under sustained scrutiny. It was reported by members of the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement that the attackers were affiliated with the local branch of the African National Congress and it was claimed that the attack was carefully planned and sanctioned by the provincial police department. Academic research seems to confirm that the attackers self-identified as ANC members and that ANC leaders at Municipal and Provincial level later provided public sanction for the attack.

See also: Marikana Land Occupation (Durban)

Despite a court interdict, the eThekwini municipality, with the support of the provincial SAPS, repeatedly evicted shack dwellers in Durban's Cato Crest. The General Council of the Bar has also expressed concern over the evictions.

Ecology

Natal plum

There are various game reserves found in the province; one notable example is Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, where the southern white rhinoceros was saved from extinction.

In many of these larger reserves, large animals ranging from several antelope species to elephant, Cape buffalo and hippopotamus can be found. Predators include lions, leopards, and Cape wild dogs.

The scaly yellowfish (Labeobarbus natalensis) is a fish found in the Tugela River system as well as in the Umzimkulu, Umfolozi and the Mgeni. It is a common endemic species in KwaZulu-Natal Province and it lives in different habitats between the Drakensberg foothills and the coastal lowlands.

Carissa macrocarpa (Natal plum) is a shrub native to South Africa, where it is commonly called the "large num-num". In the Zulu language or isiZulu, as well as in the Bantu tribes of Uganda, it is known as the Amathungulu or umThungulu oBomvu. In Afrikaans, the fruit is called noem-noem.

Education

Universities

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has five campuses in the province.[33] It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.[34] Other universities are:

Colleges

Sport

Major sports events

  • Comrades Marathon, an annual marathon run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

  • Midmar Mile, a mile-long swimming race held annually at Midmar Dam.

  • Dusi Canoe Marathon, an annual canoe marathon starting in Pietermaritzburg and ending in Durban.

  • Durban July, South Africa's premier annual horse racing event at Greyville Racecourse, Durban.

  • Mr Price Pro, a premier international surfing event at Durban during winter (previously known as the "Gunston 500").

Provincial sports teams

Football (soccer)

The South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) currently features the following teams from the province:

AmaZulu, Golden Arrows and Royal AM (Durban)

Thanda Royal Zulu (Richards Bay)

Maritzburg United (Pietermaritzburg)

Royal AM Durban

Rugby union

United Rugby Championship

The Sharks

Currie Cup

Sharks

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