Eshowe is the oldest town of European settlement in Zululand, historically also known as Eziqwaqweni, Ekowe or kwaMondi. Eshowe's name is said to be inspired by the sound of wind blowing through the more than 4 km² of the indigenous

Dlinza Forest The Dlinza Forest is a subtropical forest or Coastal Scarp Forest in Eshowe, Zululand, South Africa, one of five natural forests running in a 100 km line running northwest from the coast. Others are the Ongoye, Entumeni, Nkandla and ...

, the most important and striking feature of the town. Although the name is most likely to be derived from the Zulu word for the '' Xysmalobium'' shrubs, ''showe'' or ''shongwe''. Today Eshowe is a market town, with a 100 km radius

catchment area A catchment area in human geography, is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...

, two shopping centres, a main bus station serving the hinterland, a major hospital, and several schools.

History

In 1860

Cetshwayo Cetshwayo kaMpande (; ; 1826 – 8 February 1884) was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1873 to 1884 and its Commander in Chief during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. His name has been transliterated as Cetywayo or Cetshwayo. Cetshwayo consistently ...

, then only a Zulu prince, built a

kraal Kraal (also spelled ''craal'' or ''kraul'') is an Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch word, also used in South African English, for an pen (enclosure), enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within a Southern African Human settlement ...

here and named the place Eziqwaqweni ''(the abode of robbers)''. A mission station was established at Eshowe in 1861 once permission had been obtained from the Zulu King Cetshwayo by Norwegian missionary, the Reverend Ommund Oftebro. Later the station was called the KwaMondi Mission Station ''(place of Mondi)'' after the Zulu name which was given to Oftebro.

Siege of Eshowe

During the

Anglo-Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in present-day South Africa from January to early July 1879 between forces of the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Two famous battles of the war were the Zulu victory at Battle of Isandlwana, Isandlwana and th ...

of 1879, Colonel Charles Pearson led the coastal column to Eshowe. This column encountered part of the Zulu army at the Nyezane River, but after a short battle pushed on to the KwaMondi Mission which was fortified and called

Fort Ekowe The siege of Eshowe took place during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. The siege was part of a three-pronged attack on the Zulu Kingdom, Zulu Impis of king Cetshwayo at Ulundi. After an incursion as far as Eshowe (then also known as Fort Ekowe or k ...

.The Siege of Fort KwaMondi
Battlefields Route The forces under Colonel Pearson were besieged for 10 weeks until relieved on April 3 by Lord Chelmsford after the Battle of Gingindlovu. After the British left, Eshowe was burned down by the Zulus.

Capital of Zululand

After the war Eshowe was established as the capital of Zululand and the home of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

resident in Zululand, Melmoth Osborne. The nearby town of Melmoth is named after him. In 1887 Eshowe became the capital of Zululand and was officially declared a township in 1891. In 1947 the British Royal Family (

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

, Princess Elizabeth and

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

) visited and were welcomed in Eshowe by King Cyprian. The family toured the Dlinza Forest and spent a night in 'The Residency' in Eshowe. Eshowe served as the seat of the first Black Diocesan Bishops in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, of the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Eshowe is still the seat of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Zululand.

Nearby nature conservation areas

iSimangaliso Wetland Park iSimangaliso Wetland Park is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about north of Durban by road. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning of coastline, from the Mozambique, Mozambican border in the n ...

* Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve * Itala Game Reserve * Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area

Notable people

Malusi Gigaba Knowledge Malusi Nkanyezi Gigaba (born 30 August 1971) is a South African politician who represents the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly. He served as a cabinet minister between 2010 and 2018, with stints as Minister o ...

- politician, former national minister * Dawn Thandeka King - actress * Culoe De Song - music producer, DJ, recording artist

References

External links

Tourism vendor in EshoweMore information about Eshowe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eshowe, Kwazulu-Natal Populated places in the uMlalazi Local Municipality Populated places established in 1880 1880 establishments in South Africa