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KwaZulu was a semi-independent
bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now ...
in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
, intended by the
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
government as a homeland for the
Zulu people Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Nata ...
. The capital was moved from
Nongoma Nongoma is a town in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the seat of the Nongoma Local Municipality. It is situated 300 km north of Durban and 56 km from Ulundi; it is surrounded by the Ngome Forest. It is a busy market town ...
to
Ulundi Ulundi, also known as Mahlabathini, is a town in the Zululand District Municipality. At one time the capital of Zulu Kingdom in South Africa and later the capital of the Bantustan of KwaZulu, Ulundi now lies in KwaZulu-Natal Province (of which, ...
in 1980. It was led until its abolition in 1994 by Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi and head of Inkatha, who implemented the limited self-governing powers decided by the South African government as part of
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
, but rejected the nominal independence which four other homelands accepted, complaining about the fragmented nature of the state, and the inability of the apartheid government to consolidate a viable and contiguous territory for KwaZulu, in the face of stiff resistance from whites. F. W. de Klerk later commented in an interview that he believed that Buthelezi would have accepted independence had his homeland been given the port of
Richards Bay Richards Bay ( af, Richardsbaai) is a town 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 h ...
, a proposal that failed due to the white population's resistance to the idea. An attempt to transfer parts of the homeland, along with parts of the Swazi homeland
KaNgwane KaNgwane () was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Swazi people. It was called the "Swazi Territorial Authority" from 1976 to 1977. In September 1977 it was renamed KaNgwan ...
, to the neighbouring country of Swaziland (now Eswatini) in 1982 was never realized. This would have given land-locked Swaziland access to the sea. The deal was negotiated by the governments of South Africa and Swaziland, but was met by popular opposition in the territory meant to be transferred. The territory had been claimed by King Sobhuza of Swaziland as part of the Swazi monarchs' traditional realm, and the South African government hoped to use the homeland as a buffer zone against guerrilla infiltration from
Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
. South Africa responded to the failure of the transfer by temporarily suspending the autonomy of KaNgwane, then restoring it in December 1982 and granting it nominal
self-rule __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
in 1984.Leroy Vail
''The Creation of Tribalism in Southern Africa''
California: University of California Press. 1989. pp. 310-316.
KwaZulu was merged with the surrounding South African province of
Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...
to form the new province of KwaZulu-Natal. The name ''kwaZulu'' translates roughly as ''Place of
Zulus Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Na ...
'', or more formally ''Zululand''. In March 1996, two years after South Africa's transition to majority rule, the trial of ''The State v. Peter Msane & Others'' was held due to the accusation against thirteen retired white generals, including
Magnus Malan General Magnus André de Merindol Malan (30 January 1930 – 18 July 2011) was a South African military figure and politician during the last years of apartheid in South Africa. He served respectively as Minister of Defence in the cabinet of P ...
(who served as defence minister at the height of emergency rule in the mid-1980s) and seven Zulus, partisans of Buthelezi's Inkatha Freedom Party of complicity in a massacre of thirteen people, ten years earlier, in a rural village in the KwaZulu homeland known as
KwaMakhutha KwaMakhutha is a township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, located south-west of Durban and means "at the Makhutha location". Geography KwaMakhutha is situated approximately 29 km south-west of Durban and forms part of the eThekwini Metropoli ...
. The trial was an attempt by Nelson Mandela's new government to bring to justice those at the top of apartheid's security forces. They were alleged to have purposefully fanned violence among blacks by arming and training one faction as a proxy force, in the tradition of
divide and rule Divide and rule policy ( la, divide et impera), or divide and conquer, in politics and sociology is gaining and maintaining power divisively. Historically, this strategy was used in many different ways by empires seeking to expand their ter ...
. However, all of the defendants were acquitted.


Districts in 1991

Districts of the province and population at the 1991 census. * Ezingolweni: 215,224 * Emzumbe: 217,399 *
Vulamehlo Vulamehlo Local Municipality was a local municipality in Ugu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. It was located south of the eThekwini municipality and bordered by uMdoni to the east, Mkhambathini and Richmond to the north and Ubuhlebezwe t ...
: 125,179 * Embumbulu: 271,215 *
Umlazi Umlazi is a township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, located south-west of Durban. Organisationally and administratively it forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and its South Municipal Planning Region. It is the fourth largest ...
: 299,275 *
Hlanganani Hlanganani, formerly Spelonken, is an amalgamation of various large villages which are situated in the north western portion of the former Tsonga homeland of Gazankulu, South Africa. Hlanganani is situated alongside the R578 road to Giyani and El ...
: 186,712 * Ndwedwe: 318,093 * Vulindlela: 223,706 * Empumalanga: 314,440 *
Ntuzuma Ntuzuma is a town in eThekwini in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. With a population of 114,231 (Census 2001), Ntuzuma is the youngest of the four "PINK" (Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu) programme townships, and was built by th ...
: 458,529 * Kwa Mapumulu: 231,503 * Ongoye: 175,993 * Inkanyezi: 170,628 * Nkandla: 132,578 *
Nqutu Nquthu is a town in Umzinyathi District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Village 24 km west-south-west of Barklieside and 53 km east of Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal The coal mining town of Dundee is situated in a ...
: 213,636 * Msinga (main town
Tugela Ferry Tugela Ferry is a town on the northern bank of the Tugela River, in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. During the apartheid era it formed part of the KwaZulu homeland, and at present it is included in the Umzinyathi District Municipality. The to ...
): 154,623 * Emnambithi: 205,639 * Enseleni: 241,005 *
Hlabisa Hlabisa is a settlement in Umkhanyakude District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The village lies between the Hluhluwe and Umfolozi game reserves, some 40 km north-west of Mtubatuba. Named after the Hlabisa tribe ...
: 169,719 *
Mahlabatini Mahlabatini is a small town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was established in 1898 by the British. Village 48 km south-west of Nongoma. Established as a Norwegian mission station, it became the seat of magistracy of the Mahlabatini di ...
: 141,284 *
Nongoma Nongoma is a town in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is the seat of the Nongoma Local Municipality. It is situated 300 km north of Durban and 56 km from Ulundi; it is surrounded by the Ngome Forest. It is a busy market town ...
: 169,153 * Ubombo: 113,409 *
Ingwavuma Ingwavuma is a town in the Umkhanyakude District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. It is unclear where the name of the town came from; one theory is that it was named after the Ngwavuma River while another is that there was a ...
: 144,613 * Simdlangentsha: 120,368 * Madadeni: 313,888 * Okhahlamba: 196,963


See also

* Chief Ministers of KwaZulu


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwazulu 1994 disestablishments in South Africa Bantustans in South Africa Geography of KwaZulu-Natal States and territories established in 1981 1981 establishments in South Africa States and territories disestablished in 1994 Former republics