Howick Falls is a waterfall in
Howick,
KwaZulu-Natal Province
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...
,
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 ...
. The waterfall is approximately 95 m in height (310 feet) and lies on the
Umgeni River. The
Zulu people
Zulu people (; ) are a native people of Southern Africa of the Nguni people, Nguni. The Zulu people are the largest Ethnic groups in South Africa, ethnic group and nation in South Africa, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
They o ...
called the falls ''KwaNogqaza'', which means "Place of the Tall One".
Identified geographical feature
The
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...
province has known human occupation for well over 30,000 years and KwaNogqaza was a well known site prior to any western influence, given the rich legend surrounding the area.
Human interaction
Many people have been swept over the falls, especially in the pioneer days of the province, as some settlers thought the easiest place to cross the river was just above the falls. There have been a recorded 40 deaths surrounding Howick Falls with the first recorded death occurring in 1851. Most of these have been recorded as suicides but accidents and murder have also been known to happen, contributing to, if not maintaining, the local legendary status of the waterfall. In 1999,
Jeb Corliss had a near-fatal
BASE jump
BASE jumping () is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antenna (radio), antenna ...
into the waterfalls where his chute opening went asymmetric and he could not avoid flying into the downpouring water.
The Jeb Corliss Story
/ref>
Myth and folklore
According to local legend, the pool at the bottom of the falls is the residence of the Inkanyamba, a giant serpent-like creature. According to lore only sangomas can safely approach the falls and then only to offer prayers and other acts of worship to the inkanyamba, ancestral spirits and the 'Great God'.
Tourism
Despite, or perhaps because of, its chequered history, kwaNogqaza has become a principal tourist attraction for the KwaZulu-Natal midlands.
See also
* List of waterfalls
This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it is at least tall and has an existing Wikipedia article, or it is considered historically sig ...
* List of waterfalls in South Africa
* Mgeni River
The Umgeni River or Mgeni River () is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It rises in the "Dargle" in the KZN Midlands, and its mouth is at Durban, some distance north of Durban's natural harbour. It is generally agreed its name means "the ...
* Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
Howick is a town located in the UMngeni Local Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The town is 1050 m above sea level, and about 88 kilometres from the port city of Durban. It experiences warm summers and cool, dry winters. A sna ...
References
*
Waterfalls of South Africa
Landforms of KwaZulu-Natal
Tourist attractions in KwaZulu-Natal
{{KwaZuluNatal-geo-stub