KwaDukuza is a municipality in

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. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza (which incorporates small towns such as Stanger, Balito, Shaka's Kraal, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well before then. The city has been under major economical construction since 2015, having built a multi-million rand regional shopping mall in 2018.

History

The city was founded about 1820 by King Shaka and was named KwaDukuza ( zu, Place of the Lost Person) 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 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' ...

(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. KwaDukuza became a municipality in 1949 under the name Stanger and is the commercial, magisterial and railway center of an important sugar-producing district. A small museum adjoins the site of Shaka's grave, a grain pit in the city center. The city and its vibrant inhabitants are surrounded by sugar cane 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: Unive ...

tree where Shaka held meetings, which still stands in front of the municipal offices. The Shaka Day festival, a colorful 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'' on 3 March 2006. The KwaDukuza Museum houses historical items and information on Shaka, the sugar industry and local history. The city has a South Asian influence because of the influx of labourers from India 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 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 city and has successfully developed it into what it is today. Celebrations include

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

and the Winter Fair, the latter being a fundraiser for child welfare. In July, 2021, the city 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 Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob ...

, much to the dismay of the Indian population.

Climate

The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies the KwaDuzuka climate as humid subtropical (Cfa), with more rain in the summer. The highest record temperature was on February 3, 2008, and the lowest record temperature was on June 12, 2013.

Healthcare

In February 2018, the city opened the KwaDukuza Private Hospital, the second major hospital in the area.

Schools

Stanger Manor Secondary School Stanger Manor Secondary School is a public high school located in Stanger, KwaDukuza, on the north coast of South Africa. Academic history The portals of Stanger Manor Secondary were opened to its first set of pupils on 21 July 1980. The firs ...

Stanger Secondary School Stanger Secondary School is a public high school located in Stanger / KwaDukuza on the north coast of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa. History The school was officially opened on 3 August 1920 and historically catered for the Indian community dur ...

*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

Notable residents

King Shaka Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka 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 that ...

Albert Luthuli Albert John Mvumbi 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 wa ...

* Kader Asmal *

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

* King Dingane * Elijah 'Tap Tap' Makhatini

References