KwaDukuza KwaDukuza, previously known as Stanger, is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza (which incorporates towns such as Stanger, Ballito and Shakaskraal), but the Zulu people in the area called ...

, previously known as Stanger, is a town in

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 ...

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 ...

. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza (which incorporates towns such as Stanger,

Ballito Ballito is an affluent coastal town located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Ballito is about north of Durban and 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of KwaDukuza. It forms part of the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, and iLembe District Municipality. ...

and

Shakaskraal Shakaskraal is a town in the iLembe District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, situated approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) south-west of KwaDukuza and 53 kilometres (33 mi) north-east of Durban. The town is dominate ...

), but 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 ...

in the area called it "Dukuza" well before then. The city has undergone minor economic construction since 2015, having built a multi-million rand regional shopping mall in 2018. KwaDukuza also has a college called North Coast Agricultural College located in Shakaskraal.

History

The town was founded in about 1820 by King

Shaka Shaka kaSenzangakhona (–24 September 1828), also known as Shaka (the) Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reform ...

and was named KwaDukuza () because of the capital's labyrinth of huts. After Shaka was assassinated on 22 September 1828 during a coup by two of his half-brothers,

Dingane Dingane ka Senzangakhona Zulu (–29 January 1840), commonly referred to as Dingane, Dingarn or Dingaan, was a Zulu prince who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828, after assassinating his half-brother Shaka Zulu. He set up his royal capita ...

and

Umthlangana Mhlangana (died 1828) (also known as Umhlangana ka Senzangakhona) was a Zulu prince - the son of Senzangakhona, a brother of Shaka, and half-brother of Dingane and Mpande. He assisted Dingane and Shaka's induna (advisor) Mbopha in Shaka's assa ...

(Mhlangane), the city was burnt to the ground. In 1873, European settlers built a town on the site, naming it Stanger after William Stanger, the surveyor-general of Natal. Stanger became a municipality in 1949 and is the commercial, magisterial and railway centre of an important sugar-producing district. A small museum adjoins the site of Shaka's grave, a grain pit in the city centre. The city and its vibrant inhabitants are surrounded by

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

fields, bush and the

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

tree where Shaka held meetings, which still stands in front of the municipal offices. The Shaka Day festival, a colourful ceremony of 10,000 or more Zulus, is held at the KwaDukuza Recreation Grounds on 24 September every year. The festival is usually attended by dignitaries to mark the significance of the Zulu nation. In 2006, the Minister of Arts and Culture approved a name change from Stanger to KwaDukuza, which was published in the ''

Government Gazette of South Africa The ''Government Gazette'' () is the gazette of record of South Africa. It is the "official organ of Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the ...

'' on 3 March 2006. The KwaDukuza Museum houses historical items and information on Shaka, the sugar industry and local history. The town has a South Asian influence because of the influx of labourers from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries for sugarcane barons, such as Liege Hulett. The first few hundred Indian families left

Port Natal Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay o ...

for the cane farms on 17 November 1860. The importation of Indian labourers was stopped in 1911, when their numbers exceeded 100,000. Most Indians did not return when their work contracts expired, but exchanged their return-trip passes for money or property. The growth of the Indian community changed the economic and cultural nature of the town and has successfully developed it into what it is today. Celebrations include

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

and the Winter Fair, the latter being a fundraiser for child welfare. In July, 2021, the town was significantly impacted by large scale looting, vandalism, property damage and civil unrest caused during the

2021 South African unrest The 2021 South African unrest, also known as the July 2021 riots, the Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest that occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment ...

, much to the dismay of the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

population.

Law and government

KwaDukuza forms part of the

KwaDukuza Local Municipality KwaDukuza Local Municipality is one of four municipalities under iLembe District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. As of 2022 it has a population of 324,912. Main places The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following ma ...

and the larger

iLembe District Municipality iLembe is one of the 11 district municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The seat of iLembe is KwaDukuza. The majority (82%) of its 606,809 people speak isi Zulu as their first language (2011 census). The district code is DC29. ...

, serving as the seat for both municipalities. It has a

Magistrate's Court A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) * Magistrates' cour ...

and most central and provincial government departments maintain regional branches or other offices in the town.

Geography

Located on the hilly

North Coast North Coast or Northcoast may refer to : Antigua and Barbuda * Major Division of North Coast, an urban area and major division in the parish of Saint John * North Coast, Barbuda, an administrative district of Barbuda Australia * New South Wa ...

, KwaDukuza lies approximately 73 km (45 mi) north-west of

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

and 106 km (67 mi) south-west of

Richards Bay Richards Bay () is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated on a 30 square kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River, which makes it one of the country's largest harbours. Richards Bay also has the deepest natural harbour on the Africa ...

. Morevover, the town is situated 8 kilometres (5 miles) inland from Blythedale Beach on the Mbozamo River. The nearest settlements to KwaDukuza other than Blythedale Beach include

Darnall Darnall is a suburb of eastern Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Darnall is approximately east-north-east of Sheffield city centre. History Darnall was initially a small hamlet usually included with Attercliffe. William Walker, a residen ...

(12 km),

(16 km), Tinley Manor Beach (18 km), Zinkwazi Beach (21 km) and

(30 km).

Suburban areas

Source: * Dawnside * Gledhow * Glen Hills * High Ridge * Larkfield * Northlands * Shakville * Stanger Ext 2 * Stanger Ext 3 * Stanger Ext 5 * Stanger Ext 6 * Stanger Ext 7 * Stanger Ext 8 * Stanger Ext 9 * Stanger Ext 10 * Stanger Ext 12 * Stanger Ext 14 * Stanger Ext 15 * Stanger Ext 17 * Stanger Ext 18 * Stanger Ext 19 * Stanger Ext 21 * Stanger Ext 22 * Stanger Ext 24 * Stanger Ext 25 * Stanger Ext 26 * Stanger Ext 27 * Stanger Ext 29 * Stanger Ext 31 * Stanger Ext 32 * Stanger Ext 33 * Stanger Ext 34 * Stanger Ext 35 * Townview * Warrenton

Climate

The Köppen–Geiger climate classification system classifies the KwaDuzuka climate as

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

(Cfa), with more

rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

in the summer. The highest record temperature was on February 3, 2008, and the lowest record temperature was on June 12, 2013.

Infrastructure

Healthcare

KwaDukuza has of two major hospitals, General Justice Gizenga Mpanza Regional Hospital, in the city centre which serves as iLembe's largest and main public hospital and the KwaDukuza Private Hospital, on the southern outskirts of the city which was opened in February 2018. Other than hospitals, KwaDukuza has three public clinics which fall under the jurisdiction of the General Justice Gizenga Mpanza Regional Hospital, including Glenhills Clinic, to the west of the city, KwaDukuza Clinic, just south of the city centre and the Nandi Clinic, north of the city.

Schools

* Stanger Manor Secondary School * Stanger Secondary School *Glenhills Secondary School *Glenhills Primary School *Stanger M.L. Sultan Secondary School *Stanger High School *Dawnview Primary School *Zakkariyya Muslim School *Stanger Primary School *Stanger Manor Primary School *Stanger South Secondary School *Tshelenkosi Secondary School *North Coast Agricultural College *KwaDukuza Technical Collegee

Transport

Rail

KwaDukuza is located at the northern end of the ''North Coast Line'', which is served by the commuter rail network,

Metrorail KwaZulu-Natal Metrorail KwaZulu-Natal is a network of commuter rail services in and around the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. It is operated by Metrorail, a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Services are p ...

and runs down south to

via

Groutville Groutville is a town in Ilembe District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Home of the late ANC leader, Chief Albert Luthuli and his wife Nokukhanya Bhengu, Home to RT Rev H. Mdelwa Hlongwane founder to The Bantu Metho ...

, Umhlali,

oThongathi oThongathi, previously and still commonly known as Tongaat, is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about north of Durban and south of KwaDukuza. It now forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, or the Greater Durban area. The area ...

(Tongaat), Verulam and

Mount Edgecombe Mount Edgecombe or Mt Edgecombe is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, situated just north of Durban, which forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, eThekwini, the Greater Durban Metropolitan area. Much of the suburb is cordoned off a ...

Roads

KwaDukuza lies just off the

N2 highway N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

between

Empangeni Empangeni is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is approximately 157 kilometres north of Durban, in hilly countryside, overlooking a flat coastal plain and the major harbour town of Richards Bay 16 kilometres away. The N2 freeway runs eas ...

and

. Furthermore, it is intersected by the R74, connecting the N2 to the east with Greytown to the north-west. The R102 connects the city via

and

in the south and via

to KwaGingindlovu in the north. Running east, a small road connects the R74 (at the interchange with the N2) with the coastal village of Blythedale Beach.

= Tolling

= The N2 is the main route forming the North Coast Toll Route (between

eMdloti , alternatively rendered Umdloti and also known as Umdloti Beach, is a small resort village situated along the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa. It lies at the mouth of the Mdloti River approximately 24 km north-east (14,9 mi) of Durban ...

and

) which involves payment of

toll Toll may refer to: Transportation * Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway ** Toll road, a type of road which for which payment is required for passage ** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use ** Road to ...

: Traffic approaching KwaDukuza from the south and traffic heading south on the N2 (in the direction of

) must pass through the Mvoti Toll Plaza, about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of the city. The R102 between

and KwaDukuza serves as an untolled alternative route to the N2 to avoid the Mvoti Toll Plaza.

Notable residents

King Shaka Shaka kaSenzangakhona (–24 September 1828), also known as Shaka (the) Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms ...

Albert Luthuli Albert John Luthuli ( – 21 July 1967) was a South African anti-apartheid activist, traditional leader, and politician who served as the President-General of the African National Congress from 1952 until his death in 1967. Luthuli was bor ...

Kader Asmal Abdul Kader Asmal (8 October 1934 – 22 June 2011) was a South African politician. He was a professor of human rights at the University of the Western Cape, chairman of the council of the University of the North and vice-president of the ...

Aldin Grout Aldin Grout (September 2, 1803 - February 12, 1894) was an American missionary known for his missionary activities in Zulu Kingdom, Zululand. He married Hannah Davis in November 1834 and traveled to the Cape Colony of the American Board of Commiss ...

* King Dingane *

Elijah 'Tap Tap' Makhatini __NOTOC__ Elijah 'Tap Tap' Makhatini (born 3 October 1942) is a retired South African middleweight boxer. Makhatini was born in Eshowe in Zululand in 1942, he started his boxing career in Stanger, Natal in the 1970s. On 17 August 1974 Makhati ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwadukuza, Kwazulu-Natal Populated places in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality 1820 establishments in Africa Establishments in the Zulu Kingdom