Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "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 locate ...

, South Africa. It lies north-west of

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

and south-east of

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

. Important industries in the area include food processing, textiles, and tyre production. Ladysmith is the seat for both the

Alfred Duma Local Municipality Alfred Duma Local Municipality is a local municipality of South Africa. It was established for the August 2016 local elections by the merging of Emnambithi/Ladysmith and Indaka local municipalities. Politics The municipal council consists ...

and

Uthukela District Municipality uThukela is one of the 11 districts of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The seat of uThukela is the city of Ladysmith. The majority of its 668,848 people speak IsiZulu (2011 Census). The district code is DC23. Geography Neighbours uT ...

. In 1900, the unincorporated town of Oyster Harbour (established c. 1898) on the east coast of

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

, British Columbia, Canada, was renamed

Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to: * Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa * Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada * Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States * Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia * Ladysmith, Virginia, United States * Ladysmith Island, Queenslan ...

James Dunsmuir James Dunsmuir (July 8, 1851 – June 6, 1920) was a Canadian industrialist and politician in British Columbia. He served as the 14th premier of British Columbia from 1900 to 1902 and the eighth lieutenant governor of British Columbia from 19 ...

, in honour of the British lifting the siege of Ladysmith in South Africa (28 February 1900) during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

History

In 1847, after buying land from the Zulu king

Mpande Mpande kaSenzangakhona (1798–18 October 1872) was monarch of the Zulu Kingdom from 1840 to 1872. He was a half-brother of Sigujana, Shaka and Dingane, who preceded him as Zulu kings. He came to power after he had overthrown Dingane in 1840. ...

, a number of

Boer Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape Colony, Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controll ...

s settled in the area and called it the Republic of Klip River with

Andries Spies Andries is a Dutch and Afrikaans masculine given name or surname equivalent to Andrew. Given name People with this name include * Andries van Artvelt (1590–1652), Flemish painter * Andries Beeckman (1628–1664), Dutch painter * Andries Bekker ...

as their commandant. The republic was annexed by the British in the same year and on 20 June 1850 was proclaimed a township called Windsor. On 11 October 1850, the name was changed to Ladysmith after

Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, Lady Smith (27 March 1798 – 12 October 1872) was the wife of General Sir Harry Smith, Governor of the Cape Colony. Biography Born into an old Spanish noble family, she was a descendant of Juan Po ...

, also known as "Lady Smith," the Spanish wife of

Sir Harry Smith Lieutenant-General Sir Henry George Wakelyn Smith, 1st Baronet, GCB (28 June 1787 – 12 October 1860) was a notable English soldier and military commander in the British Army of the early 19th century. A veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, he is a ...

, the Governor of the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...

and high commissioner in South Africa from 1847 to 1852. A fort was built in 1860 to protect the villagers from the Zulu.

The Second Boer War

Ladysmith Town Hall 1900 - Project Gutenberg eText 15972

Battle of Ladysmith

During the

, British commander Lieutenant General Sir

George White George White may refer to: Politicians * George White (died 1584) (c. 1530–1584), MP for Liverpool * George White (Liberal politician) (1840–1912), British Liberal member of parliament, 1900–1912 * George E. White (politician) (1848–1935), ...

made Ladysmith his centre of operations for the protection of Natal against the Boer forces. Starting on 29 October 1899, a number of short-lived battles were fought for control of the town, but after suffering heavy casualties the British forces retreated to Ladysmith and the Boer forces did not make use of the opportunity to follow up the attack and take control of the town.

Siege of Ladysmith

Following the

Battle of Ladysmith The Battle of Ladysmith was one of the early engagements of the Second Boer War. A large British force which had concentrated at the garrison town of Ladysmith launched a sortie on 30 October 1899, against Boer armies which were slowly surround ...

, while British forces under White regrouped in the town, Boer forces surrounded Ladysmith. The siege lasted 118 days, from 2 November 1899 to 28 February 1900, during the most crucial stage of the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

. Approximately 3,000 British soldiers died during the siege.

Relief of Ladysmith

Three attempts by General Sir

Redvers Buller General Sir Redvers Henry Buller, (7 December 1839 – 2 June 1908) was a British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forc ...

to break the siege resulted in defeat for the British forces at the battles of Colenso, Spion Kop and

Vaal Krantz The Battle of Vaal Krantz (5 February to 7 February 1900) was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred durin ...

. On 6 January 1900, the Boer forces of Commandant-General

Piet Joubert Petrus Jacobus Joubert (20 January 1831 – 28 March 1900), better known as Piet Joubert, was Commandant-General of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. He also served as Vice-President to Paul Kruger from 1881 - 1883. He served in Fir ...

attempted to end the siege by taking the town before the British could launch another attempt to break the siege. This led to the

battle of Platrand The siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 2 November 1899 and 28 February 1900 at Ladysmith, Natal. Background As war with the Boer republics appeared likely in June 1899, the War Office ...

(or Wagon Hill) south of the town. Buller finally broke the siege on 28 February 1900 after defeating the Boers by using close cooperation between his infantry and artillery.

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

, then a young war correspondent for ''

The Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning Po ...

'' of London, was present at the relief of Ladysmith after having been taken prisoner (between Ladysmith and Colenso) and escaping earlier during the war.

Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, along with the stretcher-bearing corps that he had established earlier during the war, was involved in a number of actions that took place in and around Ladysmith during the relief.

Military units involved in the siege and relief

* Light Horse Regiment *

Manchester Regiment The Manchester Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1958. The regiment was created during the 1881 Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 63rd (West Suffolk) Regiment of Foot and the 96th ...

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...

Gordon Highlanders Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

Leicestershire Regiment The Leicestershire Regiment (Royal Leicestershire Regiment after 1946) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. The regiment saw service for three centuries, in numerous wars and conflicts such as both W ...

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which we ...

Royal Dublin Fusiliers The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was an Irish infantry Regiment of the British Army created in 1881, one of eight Irish regiments raised and garrisoned in Ireland, with its home depot in Naas. The Regiment was created by the amalgamation of two Brit ...

5th Royal Irish Lancers The 5th Royal Irish Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War. It amalgamated with the 16th The Queen's Lancers to become the 16th/5th Lancers in 1922. History Early wa ...

5th Dragoon Guards The 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a British army cavalry regiment, officially formed in January 1686 as Shrewsbury's Regiment of Horse. Following a number of name changes, it became the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) ...

18th Royal Hussars The 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first formed in 1759. It saw service for two centuries, including the First World War before being amalgamated with the 13th Hussars to form the 13th/18th Royal ...

19th Royal Hussars The 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, created in 1858. After serving in the First World War, it was amalgamated with the 15th The King's Hussars to form the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars ...

Natal Carbineers The Ingobamakhosi Carbineers (formerly Natal Carbineers) is an infantry unit of the South African Army. History Origins The regiment traces its roots to 1854 but it was formally raised on 15 January 1855 and gazetted on 13 March of that year, ...

Scots Guards The Scots Guards (SG) is one of the five Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. Its origins are as the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland. Its lineage can be traced back to 1642, although it was only placed on the ...

Geography

Ladysmith is located on the banks of the

Klip River The Klip River is the main river draining the portion of Johannesburg south of the Witwatersrand, and its basin includes the Johannesburg CBD and Soweto. The mouth of the river is at Vereeniging where it empties into the Vaal River, which is a tri ...

("stone river"), with the central business district and a large part of the residential areas located within the flood basin of the river. It is on the foothills of the

Drakensberg The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Zulu: uKhahlambha, Sotho: Maluti) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – within th ...

mountains, about 26 km from the

Van Reenen's Pass Van Reenen's Pass is a pass through the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. The N3 freeway, the main road between Durban and Johannesburg, was constructed through the pass with the northern end of the pass lying at the border of the provinces ...

Flooding

Since it was established the town has suffered severely from flooding of the

. During the 110 years up to 1997 with the completion of the

Qedusizi Dam Qedusizi Dam, previously known as the Mt Pleasant Dam, is a composite type dam with a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) or 'rollcrete' spillway and earth-fill embankments. It is located on the Klip River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa upstream of th ...

, 29 serious floods occurred. Minor flooding occurred almost every year. The worst flooding in 30 years occurred in 1996 leading to R500 million in damages and the evacuation of 400 families. Efforts to control the flooding date back to the 1940s. In 1949 the

Windsor Dam Windsor Dam was originally built to control flooding of Ladysmith, in KwaZulu-Natal by the Klip River, but silt buildup quickly reduced its efficiency. The Windsor Dam was commissioned in 1950, has a capacity of , and a surface area of , the da ...

was completed, but this dam silted up very quickly and was not an effective means of flood control.

Climate

Ladysmith has a

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(''Cwb'', according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

), with warm summers and cool, dry winters. It borders on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cwa''). The average annual precipitation is , with most rainfall occurring during summer.

Cityscape

Architecture

The Soofi

Mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

on the banks of the

was built some time between 1895 and 1910, but it was greatly extended in the 1960s. Other buildings of interest are the Siege Museum, built in 1884 as a marketplace and the Town Hall, damaged by Boer artillery during the

Transport

Air

Ladysmith is served by a small airport, is located on the outskirts of town just below Platrand at . The Aerodrome is managed and operated by JetVision Holdings Pty Ltd.

Rail

The Danskraal Yard is located on the Free State main line and the Glencoe–

Vryheid Vryheid ( zu, IVryheid) is a coal mining and cattle ranching town in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Vryheid is the Afrikaans word for "freedom". History After Boer farmers, who lived in the Vryheid area, had helped King Dinuzulu defeat his ...

line and acts as a depot for train marshalling and maintenance as well as rail maintenance. The passenger station is located some distance away from Danskraal close to the Central Business District.

Road

The N11 links Ladysmith with

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

in the north and with the N3 Freeway in the south-west, while the R103 provides access to Colenso in the south and the N3 Freeway in the west. Traffic traveling between

and

used to pass through Ladysmith up until the late 1980s, but the completion of the N3 Toll Highway, bypassing Ladysmith to the west, has caused a dramatic drop in traffic volumes through this town as well as others that are now bypassed. In that regard, the old main road through Ladysmith is now designated as the R103.

Education

Primary

* Acaciavale Primary School * Aloe Park Primary School. * Amancamakazane Primary School * Andante Independent School * Baldaskraal Primary School * Blue Bank primary * Burford Primary School * Damu Junior primary school * Douglas Primary School * Egerton * Good Hope Primary School * Gqama Senior School * Hamilton Preparatory School * Hollywood Primary School * Hursley Primary School * Ifalethu Primary School * Imbizo Primary School * Incwaba Junior Primary School * Ingcebo Yesizwe Primary * Inkuthu Primary School * Insungulu Lower Primary School * Isiqophamithi Primary School * Islamic Educational Centre * Keate Street Primary School * Kirkintulloch Combined school * Kleinfontein Primary School * Limit Hill Combined * Mabhumane Primary School * Madlala Combined Primary School * MC Varman Primary School * Mcitsheni Junior Primary School * Mhlanganyelwa Combined school * ML Sultan * Mnambithi Primary * Monument Primary School * Namakazi Combined Primary School * Nikela Primary School * Peace Town Combined School * Sidingulwazi Primary School * St. Chad's Primary School * Umbulwane Primary * Umvulo Primary School * Veyisi Primary School *phoweni high School * Bhekintuthuko Secondary School * Dr Joseph Shabalala secondary School * Ekukhuleni High School * Emhlwaneni High School * Entonjeni High School * Ezakheni High School (Junior) * Harvest High School * Hlope Secondary * Indakane High School * Ingula High School * Intababusuku Secondary * Intandoyesizwe High School * Islamic Educational Centre * Ladysmith High School (LHS) * Ladysmith Secondary (LASEC) * Limehill Junior High School * Limit Hill Combined * Masoyi Secondary School * Maweni High School * Mbango High School * Mhlwaneni high school * Mzimela High School * Ndalela High School * Ndalela High School * Phayikeni High School * Qophindlela Secondary * Sakhelwe High School * Sgweje High School * Sicelokuhle High School * Silindokuhle Secondary School * Siphimfundo Secondary * St. Chad's High School * Steadville High School * Tatane Secondary * Uxolo Nokuzwana secondary * Windsor Secondary School

Special schools

* Inkanyezi Special School

Tertiary

Boston City Campus Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

* Mnambithi FET College is a public college offering Further Education & Training. *

Qualitas Career Academy Qualitas Career Academy is a private college in South Africa, with campuses in various provinces. The institution delivers attendance/contact-based tuition in two modalities, namely full-time and part-time. Full-time curriculum is aimed at high ...

caters for full-time and part-time studies for students as well as corporate training and consulting services for businesses and government departments. There are a variety of academic divisions.

Society and culture

Media

The only sold local newspaper in Ladysmith is the ''Ladysmith Gazette''. The ''Ladysmith Gazette'' is believed to have been established in 1902. The ''Ladysmith Gazette'' is part of the Caxton Group of newspapers. One of two free local newspapers is the ''Ladysmith Herald''. The other free newspaper is the ''Times of Ladysmith''.

Museums, monuments and memorials

The Second Boer War

A large number of the

Battlefields around Ladysmith have been preserved as memorial sites. Monuments and memorials to those who died during the battles have been erected at most of them.

= Siege museum

= Located next to the town hall there is a small museum detailing the battles and history at the time of the Siege. The museum was opened in 1985 and holds around 60,000 documents related to the Siege and Boer War. Platrand-Imperial Light Horse Memorial-001

Platrand-Imperial Light Horse Memorial-001

= Platrand/Wagon Hill

Located just south of the town, this area saw action during the Relief of Ladysmith. The Burgher Memorial on Wagon Hill, a sculpture of six hands pointing upwards and one downwards, was erected in 1979 in honour of 781 Boer forces killed in the battles in

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 ...

during the

. A crypt at the center contains the remains of 310 re-interred burghers. On Platrand there are memorials to the

Imperial Light Horse Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

, the

Earl of Ava Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

and a number of others.

= Castor and Pollux

Two

RML 6.3 inch Howitzer The British ordnance terms#RML, RML 6.3-inch howitzer was a British Rifled muzzle-loader, rifled muzzle-loading "siege" or "position" howitzer/mortar proposed in 1874 and finally introduced in 1878 as a lighter version of the successful RML 8 inch ...

s used by the British during the Siege stand in front of the Town Hall.

= Mohandas Gandhi statue

= A statue of

can be seen at the

Lord Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

Temple.

Music

Ladysmith is the hometown of

Joseph Shabalala Joseph Shabalala (28 August 1940 – 11 February 2020), was a South African singer and musician who was the founder and musical director of the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Early life and career Shabalala was born in the town of ...

, founder of the group

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of ''isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Graceland'', and have won m ...

Sport

Thulani "Sugar Boy" Malinga, a champion boxer, was born in Ladysmith.

Elmer Symons Elmer Symons (14 February 1977 – 9 January 2007) was a motorcycle enduro racer. Symons was born in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He began enduro racing in 1996 and moved to the United States in 2003. He had placed well in numerous re ...

, Dakar Rally rider, was killed in the 2007 edition while leading the Marathon class. Diyo Sibisi, soccer player, was born in Sahlumbe, under Uthukela district in KwaZulu Natal. Thamsanqa Gabuza, soccer player, plays for Orlando Pirates, was born in Ladysmith.

Religion

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

has a strong presence in and around Ladysmith. It can be seen through the beautiful places of worship built around the time of the Anglo Boer wars. One such structure includes the Anglican All Saints Church, built in 1902 from cut flagstones from a quarry in the area.

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

also has a strong presence in the town, which is well known for the Soofie Mosque and its astounding architecture. Built in 1969, it is regarded as one of the finest in the country. The origins of the marvellous structure date back to 1895 when Hazrath Soofie Saheb arrived in South Africa. He made it his mission to build as many as 12 mosques along the east coast of Durban. Ladysmith was also the home of a revered saint known as Hazrath Soofie Sayed Mahomed Abed Mia Osmani, who is buried in the Ladysmith Muslim Cemetery.

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. In 1902, Sanathan Dharma Sabha was inaugurated to promote religious, social, cultural and education activities in Ladysmith. The oldest Hindu temple resulted from the amalgamation of Hindu Thirukootam (1910) with the Shree Ganaser Temple and hall erected in 1916. It was declared a national monument in November 1990. The present site of the SDS temple (Sanathan Dharma Sabha aka Lord Vishnu Temple) also housed Mahatma Gandhi who established a non-White Stretcher-bearer service in the Ambulance Corps in the Ladysmith and Spioenkop during the Anglo-Boer War. There are also

Rastafarian Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control ...

devotees within the areas surrounding Ladysmith, residing in Waters Meet, Peace Town, eZakheni, Steadville, Saint Chads, Acaciaville and Roosbom. They are spiritual people, scholars of black consciousness and African liberation. They run businesses, and are musicians, poets, artists and writers. They are the keepers of different African philosophies.

Military

5 South African Infantry Battalion 5 South African Infantry Battalion is a motorised infantry unit of the South African Army. History Based in Ladysmith 5 SAI was established on 1 January 1962, at Ladysmith, Natal Province. The battalion became operational on 1 April 1962. The ...

is based in Ladysmith. A military

shooting range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, sports venue, venue or playing field, field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or shooting sport, competitions. So ...

is located on the outskirts of the town between the Aerodrome and Platrand.

Notable people

* Cici - singer * Blaq Diamond - Music duo consisting of Ndumiso Mdletshe and Sphelele Dunywa * Sipho Hlomuka -

Kwazulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "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 locate ...

MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, member of the

KwaZulu-Natal Legislature The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is unicameral in its composition and elects the premier and the provincial cabinet from among the leading party or coalition members i ...

André Joubert André Johan Joubert (born 15 April 1964 in Ladysmith) is a former South African rugby union player, widely known as "The Rolls-Royce of Fullbacks" for his pace, class, and seemingly effortless style. He was capped 34 times at fullback for the Sp ...

- rugby union player * Thulani "Sugarboy" Malinga - boxer and WBC middleweight champion *

Abednego Mazibuko Mpindela Abednego Mazibuko is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded in 1960 - and still led - by his cousin Joseph Shabalala, Joseph."LadySmith Black Mambazo." MazAlien. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. . Abednego was born i ...

- member of

Thapelo Mokoena Thapelo Mokoena is a South African actor, television producer and presenter. He is best known for his role on UKs Bulletproof S3 as William, Trackers the series and presenting the first season of the South African version of the reality competit ...

- actor, presenter, filmmaker *

Beverly Mould Beverly Mould (born 13 March 1962) is a South African former tennis player who was active in the first half of the 1980s. Tennis career During her career, Mould won three WTA Tour doubles titles. Her best singles result at a Grand Slam tourn ...

- international tennis player *

Russel Mthembu Ndoda Russel Mthembu is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded in 1960 by close friend Joseph Shabalala. Russel was born in Ladysmith, South Africa, and joined Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 1976. It was at this ti ...

- member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo *

Menzi Ngubane Menzi Ngubane (28 August 1964 – 13 March 2021) was a South African actor, best known for playing the role of Sibusiso Dlomo in the soap opera '' Generations'' from 2003 to 2014. Ngubane played numerous roles on other South African TV shows, i ...

- ''Generations'' actor * Headman Shabalala - singer, member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo *

- singer, founder of world renowned isicathamiya music group

* Msheng Shabalala - member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo * Msizi Shabalala - member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo *

Sibongiseni Shabalala Sibongiseni Lucas Shabalala (born 20 May 1972), is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded in 1960 (formerly led) by his father Joseph. Sibongiseni was born in Ladysmith (eMnambithi district) to Joseph and his l ...

- member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo *

Solomon Linda Solomon Popoli Linda (19098 September 1962), also known as Solomon Ntsele ("Linda" was his clan name),Gilmore, Inigo"Penniless sisters fight record industry over father's hit song" ''The Telegraph'' (UK), 11 June 2000. was a South African musici ...

- singer, composer, best known for composing the song “ Mbube” later known as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” *

Thamsanqa Shabalala Thamsanqa Shabalala (born September 29, 1974) is a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African choral group founded in 1960 by his father Joseph. He replaced Joseph as the group's lead singer after his father's retirement in 2015 (see mai ...

- member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo * Thembinkosi Thwala - actor ''most well-known as Mondli Mdlalose on TV series,

Uzalo ''Uzalo'' is a South African soap opera produced by Stained Glass Productions, which is co-owned by Kobedi "Pepsi" Pokane and Gugu Zuma-Ncube. It began airing in 2015, quickly becoming a hit due to its compelling narrative, writing, direction an ...

'' * Thishiwe Ziqubu - actress

References

External links

*
Ladysmith Battlefields

Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
{{Authority control Populated places in the Alfred Duma Local Municipality Populated places established in 1850 1850 establishments in the Colony of Natal

History

The Second Boer War

Battle of Ladysmith

Siege of Ladysmith

Relief of Ladysmith

Military units involved in the siege and relief

Geography

Flooding

Climate

Cityscape

Architecture

Transport

Air

Rail

Road

Education

Primary

Special schools

Tertiary

Society and culture

Media

Museums, monuments and memorials

The Second Boer War

= Siege museum

= Platrand/Wagon Hill

= Castor and Pollux

= Mohandas Gandhi statue

Music

Sport

Religion

Military

Notable people

See also

Bibliography

References

External links