Harding is a town situated in the Mzimkulwana River Valley on the South Coast of

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 ...

History

Harding was established as a military outpost following the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

annexation of East Griqualand in 1874. Named after Sir Walter Harding (c 1812-1874) who in 1858 became the first Chief Justice in Natal. It was declared as a township in 1911.

Geography

Harding lies at the foot of the Ingeli Range, 58 kilometres (36 mi) east of Kokstad, 34 kilometres (21 mi) north-west of Izingolweni, and 84 kilometres (52 mi) north-west of

Port Shepstone Port Shepstone is a large town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, Margate and is positioned 120&nbs ...

Economy

Timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

and

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

ing form the backbone of the local economy, with extensive timber plantations surrounding Harding and the nearby town of Weza, located approximately 16 km to the south-west. The abandoned

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...

Alfred County Railway used to serve the farming areas, linking Harding with

Law and government

Harding is situated in the

uMuziwabantu Local Municipality uMuziwabantu Municipality () is a local municipality within the Ugu District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. is an isiZulu word meaning "the people's home", or "a home with wide open doors where everyone is welcome ...

, forming part of the Ugu District Municipality and functions as the municipal seat for the uMuziwabantu Local Municipality which governs Harding, Weza and its surroundings.

Healthcare

St Andrews Hospital is a 210-bed district hospital situated east of the Harding CBD, that mainly serves the Harding, Weza and surrounding rural communities within the

and in the neighbouring uMzimkhulu Local Municipality as well as nearby rural communities in the

Eastern Cape Province The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

such as Mbizana.https://www2.kznhealth.gov.za/standrewshospital.htm

Transport

Roads

Harding is bypassed by the N2, routing traffic heading east from Kokstad towards Izingolweni and

. The town can be accessed by turning off the N2 onto three main access points, namely Murchison Street (from the east and west) and Hawkins Street (from the north). Hawkins Street continues further south towards Mbizana in the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

as a small rural road named the P59.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Kwazulu-Natal Populated places in the uMuziwabantu Local Municipality