128-619: Mtamvuna River is a river that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa . The river has a wide mouth and flows into the Indian Ocean just south of Port Edward . The Mtamvuna river is approximately 162 km long with a catchment area of 1,553 km². The name means "the reaper of mouthfuls" because of the damage the river does to crops during floods. Historically
256-610: A bête noire of young activists in the Black Consciousness Movement and was repudiated by many in the African National Congress (ANC). A former ANC Youth League member, Buthelezi had aligned himself and Inkatha with the ANC in the 1970s, but in the 1980s their relationship became increasingly acrimonious. It emerged in the 1990s that Buthelezi had accepted money and military assistance from
384-686: A student boycott during a visit to the campus of Gideon Brand Van Zyl , the Governor-General . He later completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Natal and worked as a clerk in the government's Department of Native Affairs in Durban . In 1953, Buthelezi returned to Mahlabathini to become chief ( inkosi ) of the Buthelezi clan, a hereditary position and lifetime appointment. In his account, he had planned to become
512-490: A "liberated zone", elements of his administration were authoritarian, and he was described as personally exerting "iron-fisted control" over KwaZulu. He was not only chief minister but also finance minister, and became police minister in 1980 when the KwaZulu Police was established. In addition to alleged abuses by the police force, a common complaint was that Buthelezi restricted political organisation, making KwaZulu
640-610: A boycott of the 1994 general election , South Africa's first under universal suffrage . However, despite fears that Buthelezi would upend the peaceful transition entirely, Buthelezi and the IFP relented soon before the election, and not only participated, but also joined the Government of National Unity formed afterwards by newly elected President Mandela. Buthelezi served as Minister of Home Affairs under Mandela and under his successor, Thabo Mbeki , despite near-continuous tensions between
768-472: A claim to the premiership. During his tenure in the KwaZulu government, there were "a series of crises" as Buthelezi attempted to entrench King Zwelithini's position as a constitutional monarch and to disable him politically. In 1979, for example, he accused the king and Prince Mcwayizeni of attempting to form an opposition party together; in 1980, newspapers reported that Zwelithini had attempted to join
896-453: A de facto one-party "state" . This was the result of legal and coercive constraints, but also of the Zulu royal family's close alignment to Inkatha, which allowed Inkatha leaders "to imply that opposition to the movement is synonymous with disloyalty to the Zulu nation as a whole". Opposition was also restricted inside Inkatha – for example, the organisation's constitution prescribed that only
1024-819: A diamond-cutting works, various heavy engineering concerns, the Natal Portland Cement (NPC) slagment cement factory, and the Newcastle Cogeneration Plant (old Ingagane Power Station). This was recommissioned as Africa's first gas-fired power station by Independent Power Southern Africa (IPSA), and it supplies the Karbochem Plant with electricity. The textile industry is a major employer in the Newcastle area, with over 100 factories belonging to ethnic Taiwanese and Chinese industrialists. Maize, livestock and dairy farmers operate on
1152-433: A landmark. Buthelezi's intimacy with the royal family thus allowed a symbiotic mutual benefit, as Buthelezi appropriated the symbols of the Zulu monarchy for political gain, particularly reviving them in service of Zulu nationalism , while also reviving the cultural relevance of the monarchy. Buthelezi told a gathering in 1985: His Majesty and I share a platform and symbolize the unity of our people. His Majesty symbolizes
1280-425: A lawyer but had been advised to accept the chieftaincy by ANC leaders Albert Luthuli and Walter Sisulu . Buthelezi later recounted how Luthuli had persuaded him not to "betray my people and seek my own selfish ends away from them". He also said that his mother had encouraged him to take up the role. During apartheid, the government was responsible for recognising the status of chiefs, and Buthelezi's chieftaincy
1408-458: A major issue involving the ideology of apartheid or racial separation". In 2022 a statue of Buthelezi was erected in Jozini, Ingwavuma , to commemorate his role. The value and sincerity of Buthelezi's contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle was a highly polarising issue inside South Africa during apartheid and remains controversial. Archbishop Desmond Tutu famously asked Buthelezi to leave
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#17327798041501536-470: A major upheaval in KwaZulu-Natal's political landscape. The African National Congress (ANC), which had won a majority in the province in every election since 2004 , saw its vote collapse by nearly two-thirds, down to 17% and in third place. In contrast, uMkhonto we Sizwe , a new party led by former President Jacob Zuma , became the province's largest party, winning 45% of the vote, primarily among
1664-611: A meeting with the ANC in January 1991 – Buthelezi's first since 1979 – Buthelezi reportedly complained to attendees that "very few" members of the ANC National Executive Committee had not "at one time or another engaged in my vilification", and then provided a list of examples of attacks. These included that Chris Hani had called him "a government lackey and running dog" who was "living in a fool's paradise" and that Joe Slovo had said his political program
1792-632: A membership-based organisation to reignite political mobilisation" in South Africa and to create "a cohesive force". Buthelezi also attempted to build broader political coalitions. In 1976, he formed the Black Unity Front to coordinate among bantustan leaders, and in January 1978 he spearheaded the formation of a spin-off organisation, the South African Black Alliance. The Alliance initially comprised Inkatha,
1920-589: A minimum of 21 °C (70 °F), dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23 °C (73 °F) with a minimum of 11 °C (52 °F). The temperature drops towards the hinterland, with Pietermaritzburg being similar in the summer, but much cooler in the winter. Ladysmith in the Tugela River Valley reaches 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer but may drop below freezing point on winter evenings. The Drakensberg can experience heavy winter snow, with light snow occasionally experienced on
2048-537: A range of flora and fauna. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites . The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, along with uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and Ndumo, are wetlands of international importance for migratory species and are designated as Ramsar sites . South Africa signed the 1971 Ramsar Convention to try to conserve and protect important wetlands because of their importance to habitats and numerous species. The former Eastern Cape enclave of
2176-537: A separate political dispensation, that its members have certain unique personality traits, that an insult directed at that identity deserves retribution, and that its survival justifies conflict with other organizations and individuals. A notable feature of Inkatha was its "over-personalised" character: it was, in R. W. Johnson 's phrase, perceived "as a one-man band ". Buthelezi remained Inkatha's sole president throughout apartheid and for more than two decades afterwards. According to Marina Ottaway , Buthelezi envisioned
2304-529: A simple product of genealogy ". A more specific challenge to Buthelezi's authority came after King Cyprian's death in 1968. Prince Mcwayizeni Israel Zulu insisted that he was the monarch's rightful senior advisor, as the most senior Zulu prince, and ahead of Zwelithini's coronation , he entered into a decades-long feud with Buthelezi. Buthelezi was rumoured to have been estranged from the royal family from 1968 to 1970, as his status as traditional prime minister came into question. Buthelezi's native region,
2432-547: A territory that would ultimately become fully independent of white-ruled South Africa. KwaZulu (meaning "place of the Zulus") was the bantustan allocated to Zulu South Africans, who, under the Black Homelands Citizenship Act of 1970, had their South African citizenship revoked in favour of nominal KwaZulu citizenship. In line with Bantu Homelands Constitution Act of 1971, a separate constitution
2560-408: A white system. Because he was the political leader of a bantustan, Buthelezi's alleged "collaboration" with the separate development scheme, and therefore with apartheid, was highly controversial. Nevertheless, he always insisted that his role in the bantustan system was compatible with his avowed opposition to apartheid. Academic Laurence Piper, conceding that Buthelezi's brand of resistance politics
2688-413: Is 28, an increase of 6 years from 2011. In the 2022 census, 84.8% of the population described themselves as Black African , 9.3% as Indian/Asian , 4.1% as White , and 1.5% as Coloured . A large majority of Black African people in the province are Zulu . KwaZulu-Natal has the largest Indian population in South Africa, with a majority of all Indian South Africans living in the province. A majority of
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#17327798041502816-490: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Eastern Cape location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal ( / k w ɑː ˌ z uː l uː n ə ˈ t ɑː l / , also referred to as KZN ; nicknamed "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of
2944-532: Is a Zulu-style grass hut. The motto is Masisukume Sakhe , Zulu for "Let us stand up and build". KwaZulu-Natal's provincial government sits in Pietermaritzburg . The foundation stone of the new legislative building was laid on 21 June 1887, to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee . The building was completed two years later. On 25 April 1889, the Governor of Natal, Sir Arthur Havelock , opened
3072-741: Is a member of the Zulu nation". An Inkatha membership card was known to be a virtual prerequisite for expedient access to public services and, in many sectors, for employment in the public service. In 1978, for example, the legislative assembly adopted a ruling that public servants' standing in Inkatha would be taken into account when the Public Service Commission assessed them for promotion; and in 1989 schoolteachers complained about being "invited" to join Inkatha or risk being fired. Thus R. W. Johnson referred to Inkatha's reputation for recruitment by means of "administrative coercion";
3200-549: Is given in parentheses: In 2012, the Ingonyama Trust owns 32% of the land in KwaZulu-Natal, in many municipalities. This amounts to about three million hectares, occupied by over 4 million people. The Zulu king is the chairman of the Trust. The coastline is dotted with small towns, many of which serve as seasonal recreational hubs. The climate of the coastal areas is humid and subtropical, comparable to southern Florida in
3328-452: Is increasingly important to the economy of KwaZulu-Natal. The area's rich biodiversity and efforts at conservation have been recognised. Tourists have come to see the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park , declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites . These two major parks and that of Ndumo have wetlands of international importance listed as Ramsar sites for conservation. Prominent civil society organisations based in
3456-428: Is possible that Buthelezi and his advisors believed that his popularity should earn him recognition by the ANC as leader of the anti-apartheid movement. In June 1980, the ANC's Alfred Nzo delivered a public repudiation of Buthelezi and Inkatha, widely reported on in South Africa, in which he said that Buthelezi's actions could no longer be seen as the flawed implementation of good intentions but had to be recognised as
3584-566: Is preyed upon by thousands of predators, including game fish , sharks , dolphins and seabirds . Usually, the shoals break up and the fish disappear into deeper water around Durban. Scientists have been unable to answer many questions surrounding this exceptional seasonal event. The interior of the province consists largely of rolling hills from the Valley of a Thousand Hills to the Midlands . Their beauty has inspired literature. Alan Paton , in
3712-593: Is that if the South African Government does not deliver the goods on the basis of its own scheme, the Blacks of this country will become even more disillusioned than at present... I am not prepared to say that separate development is the only hope, but it may be a contribution to the development of the situation. It may be a contribution to the unravelling of the problem, insofar as, if we attain full independence, our hand will be strengthened. Gone will be
3840-626: The New York Times compared it to Tammany Hall at its peak. King Zwelithini was Inkatha's official patron, and the entire membership of the KwaZulu Legislative Assembly served on Inkatha's National Council, formally designated in terms of the Inkatha constitution as the supreme body of the "Zulu nation". Human Rights Watch said in 1993 that KwaZulu government institutions were "virtually identical" with Inkatha institutions, and that Inkatha often benefitted from
3968-483: The Anglo-Zulu War , and also claimed that his father was appointed traditional prime minister to his uncle, King Solomon, in 1925. Buthelezi's hereditary claims in this respect are not uncontroversial. In particular, some Zulus dispute Buthelezi's claim that his paternal great-great-grandfather, Nqengelele Buthelezi, was "the most senior advisor" to King Shaka , founder of the Zulu kingdom ; they argue that
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4096-633: The Colony of Natal in 1843. The Zulu Kingdom remained independent until 1879. KwaZulu-Natal is the birthplace of many notable figures in South Africa's history, such as Albert Luthuli , the first non-white and the first person from outside Europe and the Americas to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1960); Pixley ka Isaka Seme , the founder of the African National Congress (ANC) and South Africa's first black lawyer; John Langalibalele Dube ,
4224-473: The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1975, leading it until 2019, and became its president emeritus soon after that. He was a political leader during Nelson Mandela 's incarceration (1964–1990) and continued to be so in the post-apartheid era, when he was appointed by Mandela as Minister of Home Affairs , serving from 1994 to 2004. Buthelezi was one of the most prominent black politicians of
4352-520: The Inkosiship of the Buthelezi clan , being the son of Inkosi Mathole Buthelezi , and was traditional prime minister to three successive Zulu kings , beginning with King Cyprian Bhekuzulu in 1954. He was himself born into the Zulu royal family; his maternal grandfather was King Dinuzulu who was a son of King Cetshwayo and whom Buthelezi played in the 1964 film called Zulu . While leader of KwaZulu, Buthelezi both strengthened and appropriated
4480-586: The Labour Party , and the Indian Reform Party; Buthelezi was elected its chairman. Its objectives were to forge black unity and prepare for a broad-based national convention, with a longer-term goal of becoming the major opposition force to the apartheid government. However, its impact was "minimal", partly because its multi-racial participants were wary of Buthelezi's "dubious record on cross-ethnic relations". Although Buthelezi dubbed KwaZulu
4608-532: The South African Institute of Race Relations , it was clear that Buthelezi and the ANC had fallen out over some form of disagreement about "who was going to be the tail and who was going to be the dog". While the ANC had only a meagre presence inside South Africa at the time, opinion polling indicated that Buthelezi was certainly one of black South Africa's most popular politicians, and Inkatha had an estimated membership of about 250,000 people; it
4736-488: The Star of Bethlehem , due to Vasco da Gama naming the region "Natalia", a reference to the birth of Christ, on Christmas Day in 1497. The strelitzia flower on the shield symbolizes the province's beauty. The assegai and knobkierrie behind the shield represent protection and peace. The base of the crown element is a type of headdress traditionally worn by Zulu elders, that represents wisdom and maturity. The element itself
4864-553: The Tugela , flows west to east across the center of the province. The coastal regions typically have subtropical thickets and deeper ravines; steep slopes host some Afromontane Forest . The midlands have moist grasslands and isolated pockets of Afromontane Forest. The north has a primarily moist savanna habitat, whilst the Drakensberg region hosts mostly alpine grassland . The province contains rich areas of biodiversity of
4992-546: The United Workers Union of South Africa , allied with Inkatha, to counter the growing influence of the ANC-aligned Congress of South African Trade Unions . According to observers, the ANC's repudiation of Buthelezi, coupled with its diplomatic offensive in the 1980s, narrowed Buthelezi's political options and opened a competition over popular support, partly explaining Buthelezi's growing turn in
5120-511: The apartheid army but had been blocked by Buthelezi. Despite this, in other respects the Zulu monarchy underwent a renaissance during Buthelezi's premiership. After the defeat of the Zulu kingdom in 1879, Zulu monarchs had become subjects of the South African government, and the monarchy's power and stature had suffered; in 1951 King Cyprian's recognition by the NP government was something of
5248-495: The apartheid era . He was the sole political leader of the KwaZulu government, entering when it was still the native reserve of Zululand in 1970 and remaining in office until it was abolished in 1994. Critics described his administration as a de facto one-party state , intolerant of political opposition and dominated by Inkatha (now the IFP), Buthelezi's political movement. In parallel to his mainstream political career, Buthelezi held
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5376-587: The iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park . These areas are extremely scenic as well as important to the surrounding ecosystems. During the 1830s and early 1840s, the northern part of what is now KwaZulu-Natal was established as the Zulu Kingdom . The southern part was, briefly, the Boer Natalia Republic before the British took over control in 1843, renaming it as
5504-492: The kaNgwane bantustan, which would have been ceded to Swaziland in its entirety under the proposed deal. Buthelezi argued that the apartheid government intended to use the land deal to extend South African influence in Swaziland; it would have allowed Swaziland to act as a conservative buffer state between South Africa and the left-wing, pro-ANC Frontline State of Mozambique. Observers also pointed out that it would advance
5632-685: The native reserve of Zululand, was affected by the Bantu Self-Government Act of 1959 and the first Bantu authorities were established in 1959, though with significant resistance from parts of the population and tribal leadership. In 1970, the Zululand Territorial Authority was established, and its 200 members, most of them traditional leaders, unanimously elected Buthelezi its chief executive officer . Buthelezi again claimed that ANC leaders – Albert Luthuli and Oliver Tambo – had encouraged him to accept
5760-404: The 1970s, Buthelezi publicly embraced the ANC and adopted its symbols – including its colours, green, black and gold – for Inkatha. He reminded people that Seme and John Dube had been involved in Inkatha's predecessor movement, founded by his uncle. The overwhelming implication of many of Buthelezi's public statements during the time was that Inkatha was continuous with the historical tradition of
5888-466: The ANC and even constituted, in a symbolic sense, the ANC's internal wing. In 1985, after the relationship had deteriorated, Tambo said that the ANC leadership had agreed to the formation of Inkatha in 1975 in the hope that Buthelezi could lead mass anti-apartheid mobilisation through the legal avenues available to politicians in the bantustan system. His view was that the ANC had not sufficiently supported and guided Inkatha after 1975 and that Buthelezi
6016-488: The ANC's founding president; Harry Gwala , ANC member and anti-apartheid activist; Mac Maharaj , Grammy award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo , Grammy award-winning DJ Black Coffee , ANC member, anti-apartheid activist and Little Rivonia Trial defendant ; Mangosuthu Buthelezi , the founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP); Anton Lembede , the founding president of the ANC Youth League ; Jacob Zuma ,
6144-618: The African National Congress. Buthelezi made much of his association with Pixley ka Isaka Seme , a founder of the ANC, who was married to his mother's half-sister . He counted Seme, Albert Luthuli , and Mahatma Gandhi as among his political influences; he was also inspired by Martin Luther King 's leadership of the American civil rights movement . He was expelled from Fort Hare in 1950 for participating in
6272-709: The British mainly to work in the sugar plantations on the coast. The colony acquired Zululand (the area north of the Tugela River) after the Zulu War of 1879. The lands north of the Buffalo River were added in 1902. Boer forces entered the area during the South African War (1899 to 1902) – also known as the second Boer War – and laid siege to Ladysmith . They failed to build on their initial advantage and for three months
6400-489: The IFP and the governing ANC. In subsequent years, the IFP struggled to expand its popular base beyond the new province of KwaZulu-Natal , which had absorbed KwaZulu in 1994. As the party's electoral fortunes declined, Buthelezi survived attempts by rivals within the party to unseat him. He remained the IFP's president until the party's 35th National General Conference in August 2019, when he declined to seek re-election and
6528-426: The KwaZulu chief minister could serve as party president. The Inkatha constitution additionally set out that all Zulus automatically became members of Inkatha, although it also set out membership fees; as Buthelezi explained in 1975, "all members of the Zulu nation are automatically members of Inkatha if they are Zulus. There may be members who are inactive members as no one escapes being a member as long as he or she
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#17327798041506656-420: The KwaZulu region. It came to be closely associated with Zulu nationalism, often boosted by myths of dubious historical veracity. Buthelezi's biographer, Gerhard Maré, wrote in 1991: Inkatha has relied on politicized cultural diversity, on a militant Zulu ethnicity, to mobilize people into its fold... Buthelezi argues that "Zulus," a social construct that has been anything but constant over time, should have
6784-741: The Legislative Council buildings have both been protected as provincial landmarks . They formed a colonial Parliament of two houses: a Council of 11 nominated members and an Assembly of 37 elected members. The Natal Parliament was disbanded in 1910 when the Union of South Africa was formed, and the Assembly became the meeting place of the Natal Provincial Council. The council was disbanded in 1986. The Provincial Legislature consists of 80 members. The 2024 election saw
6912-530: The Legislative Council since 1889. Further extensions to the parliamentary building were made. The building was unoccupied until 1902, when it was used without being officially opened, due to the country's being engulfed in the Anglo-Boer war . The war forced the Legislative Assembly to move the venue of its sittings, as its chamber was used as a military hospital. The Legislative Assembly and
7040-626: The Mtamvuna River is the northern limit of the Pondoland region. In 1552 a Portuguese ship ran aground at the mouth of the Mtamvuna River and a group of local people got close to the sailors wishing to trade with them. The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is a protected area located close to the deep Mtamvuna River Gorge. Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area . This KwaZulu-Natal location article
7168-585: The NP government and from his colleagues in the Zululand tribal authorities, and that he later delayed KwaZulu's progression to full self-government by delaying the required elections, including by insisting that voter registration should be conducted using new identity cards rather than the detested dompas (pass books). His critics submit that the delays were designed to give him time to sideline monarchist leaders who might otherwise have sought to unseat him. Yet his supporters respond that he sought to sideline
7296-605: The Natal region. However, Buthelezi was instrumental in setting up teacher training and nursing colleges throughout the late-1970s and the early-1980s. According to him, he spearheaded the establishment of the Mangosuthu University of Technology in Umlazi through fundraising, primarily from mining magnate Harry Oppenheimer , with whom he was friendly. Throughout apartheid, Buthelezi stridently refused to accept
7424-539: The Nation) or Inkatha ye Nkululeko ye Sizwe (Inkatha of National Liberation). The name "inkatha" derived from the sacred Zulu coil , a symbol of the unity of the Zulu nation and of fealty to the Zulu king. The name Inkatha ya kaZulu came from its predecessor movement, founded by Buthelezi's maternal uncle King Solomon in 1928, which Buthelezi sought to revive. The earlier movement was, in Buthelezi's words, "a national movement to restore national consciousness and pride"; it
7552-611: The Portuguese word for Christmas, Natal . The Nguni branch of the Bantu occupied this area from the early 1300s The first European settlers, mostly British, established Port Natal , a trading post. They made almost no attempt to develop the interior, whose inhabitants had been decimated by the Zulu king, Shaka . The Afrikaner Voortrekkers entered the area via the Drakensberg passes in 1837. These Afrikaners defeated
7680-501: The South Coast, while Ballito , uMhlanga , Zimbali and Salt Rock are North Coast resort towns. Beaches of world-class quality are to be found along virtually every part of South Africa's eastern seaboard, with some of the least-developed gems found in the far southern and far northern ends of the province. Marina Beach (and its adjoining resort San Lameer) was recognised in 2002 as a Blue Flag beach . Some visitors come for
7808-482: The United States, but not quite as hot and rainy in the summer. As one moves further north up the coast towards the border of Mozambique, the climate becomes almost purely tropical. North of Durban is locally referred to as " The North Coast ", while south is " The South Coast ". The Kwazulu-Natal Tourist board includes towns such as Margate , Port Shepstone , Scottburgh and Port Edward in its definition of
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#17327798041507936-517: The White population is of British descent , making it one of only two provinces (along with the Eastern Cape ) where Whites of British descent outnumber Afrikaners . In the 2022 census, 81.8% of the population reported their first language as Zulu , 14.4% as English , 3.1% as Xhosa , and 1.0% as Afrikaans . KwaZulu-Natal is the only province in which native Zulu-speakers form a majority of
8064-439: The Zulu monarch is considered the monarch of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The King's constitutional powers are limited. This makes KwaZulu-Natal, uniquely among South African provinces, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. As of the 2022 census , KwaZulu-Natal had a population of 12,423,907, an increase of 21.0% from the prior census in 2011 . It is the second-most populous of South Africa's nine provinces. The median age
8192-400: The Zulu traditional leadership who had argued that executive powers should be vested in the Zulu monarchy. This proposition had tempted the NP government, partly because of Buthelezi's "patently obstructive and critical stance". On some accounts, it was during this struggle that Buthelezi began to appeal to his family's tradition of providing traditional prime ministers, seeking to establish
8320-527: The Zulu" in Zulu ) and Natal Province . It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean . It shares borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique , Eswatini and Lesotho . Its capital is Pietermaritzburg , and its largest city is Durban , which is also the largest port city in sub-saharan Africa. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, after Gauteng . Two areas in KwaZulu-Natal have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites :
8448-541: The Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838 and thereafter established the Republic of Natal. Thus, the territory was once part of a short-lived Boer republic between 1839 and 1843 until its annexation by Britain. Many Afrikaner inhabitants left for the interior after the annexation and were replaced by immigrants, mainly from Britain. From 1860 onwards, increasing numbers of Indians, mainly Tamils , were brought in by
8576-589: The actions of a "police agent" and "jail warder". Completing the break, Tambo said that Inkatha had "emerged on the side of the enemy against the people". Throughout the 1980s, there was strong anti-Buthelezi sentiment among segments of the ANC. An internal ANC document published in June 1985 said that Buthelezi "projects the illusion of autonomy from the enemy and pretends to pursue national aims. His counterrevolutionary role must be exposed and we must work to win over his supporters and deprive him of his social base." At
8704-489: The annual late autumn or early winter phenomenon on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of the " sardine run ". Referred to as "the greatest shoal on earth", the sardine run occurs when millions of sardines migrate from their spawning grounds south of the southern tip of Africa northward along the Eastern Cape coastline toward KwaZulu-Natal. They follow a route close inshore, often resulting in many fish washing up on beaches. The huge shoal of tiny fish can stretch for many kilometres; it
8832-411: The anti-apartheid African National Congress (ANC) Youth League in 1949. In January 2012, he said of this period: I was taught by Professor ZK Matthews , I knew Dr John Langalibalele Dube , I was mentored by Inkosi Albert Luthuli , and I worked closely with Mr Oliver Tambo and Mr Nelson Mandela . My personal history cannot be extricated from the history of the liberation struggle, or from that of
8960-425: The apartheid government shelved the plan. In a prime example of his strategy of using the apartheid government's own policies against it ( see below ), he won the case with the argument that the government's own law required it to consult bantustan leaders on the deal. Allister Sparks said it was "the first time in memory" that "black South Africans have forced the white segregationist government to back down on
9088-462: The apartheid policy of stripping black South Africans of South African citizenship and that it could be a form of retaliation against Buthelezi for refusing to accept KwaZulu independence. Buthelezi held popular demonstrations against the deal, lobbied the Organisation of African Unity for support, and challenged the plan four successive times in court. While a fifth judgement was pending,
9216-612: The apartheid regime for Inkatha, which stoked the political violence in KwaZulu and Natal in the 1980s and 1990s. Buthelezi also played a complicated role during the negotiations to end apartheid , for which he helped set the framework as early as 1974 with the Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith . During the Congress for a Democratic South Africa , the IFP under Buthelezi lobbied for a federal system in South Africa with strong guarantees for regional autonomy and
9344-470: The bantustans: his policy was "one of accepting separate development as the only practical alternative and trying to force the government to match theory with practice". Also in 1971, in a column for the Rand Daily Mail entitled "End This Master-Servant Relationship", Buthelezi called on the central government to provide KwaZulu with more land and resources, arguing: The plain truth of the matter
9472-523: The battle scenes, then they noticed a family resemblance to my great-grandfather. They said how would it be if you played the part? I agreed." In 1954, King Cyprian appointed Buthelezi his traditional prime minister – Buthelezi lists the full title as Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Nation ( uNdunankulu kaZulu ) and Monarch. He was reappointed by Cyprian's successor, King Goodwill Zwelithini , in 1968. According to Buthelezi, his paternal family
9600-440: The days then, one hopes, when people will think of us simply as ' kaffirs .' Buthelezi's admirers point out that he initially, and skilfully, resisted the central government's plan to implement separate development in KwaZulu, taking an "intransigent" stance that set him apart from the leaders of other black areas. They argue that he submitted to the process of drafting the KwaZulu constitution only under intense pressure both from
9728-414: The deep spirit of unity for the Zulu people and I symbolize the political determination to pursue time-honoured values which have always been important in the struggle for liberty. Together His Majesty and I share the load which is placed on the Zulu nation. We will never be torn apart. According to Jo Beall , Buthelezi was able to mobilise Zulu symbols in this way because he maintained a support base among
9856-422: The development of a framework for power-sharing and political reform in South Africa. Another of Inkatha's declared objectives was to uphold the " inalienable rights " of Zulus to self-determination and national independence. Formally, and as Buthelezi often insisted, Inkatha was not a sectional party but a national movement open to all black South Africans; in practice its members were almost all Zulus from
9984-520: The draft constitution for KwaZulu/Natal proposed by the KwaZulu Legislative Assembly are not respected. The KwaZulu Police are allowed to operate with an almost complete lack of accountability for their actions, and are routinely guilty of incompetence, bias and even criminal activities... In these circumstances, the continuing existence of the KwaZulu homeland is itself one of the principal obstacles to free political activity in
10112-459: The first Shaka Day celebration; he later said that the ceremony was the first time he or King Cyprian Bhekuzulu had ever worn "traditional" Zulu dress , which they did frequently thereafter. He also acted in the 1964 film Zulu , about the Battle of Rorke's Drift , playing the role of his real-life great-grandfather, King Cetshwayo kaMpande . He said that the role had already been cast but "when they came to my place, mainly to get extras for
10240-415: The first Legislative Council session in the new building. This was the former site of St Mary's Church, built in the 1860s. The congregation built a new church in 1884 at the corner of Burger Street and Commercial Road. The old building was demolished in 1887 to provide space for the legislative complex. When governance was granted to Natal in 1893, the new Legislative Assembly took over the chamber used by
10368-455: The first to include a portion of road that is made of partial plastic, the equivalent of nearly 40,000 recycled milk cartons. KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with
10496-463: The forlorn crying of the titihoya , one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of the Umzimkulu , on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and Griqualand East . On Christmas Day 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama saw the coast of Natal and named the site after
10624-484: The formation and growth of Inkatha as a means of extending his ideological and organisational control of KwaZulu. It has also been suggested that he hoped the movement would help entrench his power over King Zwelithini. Buthelezi said that the idea had been born on a visit to Lusaka, Zambia , in 1974, when Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda , "speaking on behalf of the Frontline States ", had "urged me to found
10752-465: The former President of South Africa ; Bhambatha , a 19th-century Zulu chief who became an anti-apartheid icon; and Shaka Zulu . At around 92,100 km (35,600 sq mi) in area, KwaZulu-Natal is roughly the size of Portugal. It has three different geographic areas and is the eastern most province in the country. The lowland region along the Indian Ocean coast is extremely narrow in
10880-399: The former chairman of Anglo American , said that Buthelezi's refusal to accept nominal independence made him "the anvil on which apartheid was broken". Buthelezi agreed with this assessment. In a characteristic rebuke of his critics in 1991, he said that they were "snapping at my heels from behind as I march forward" towards a prosperous, stable and non-racial South Africa: "they do not have
11008-598: The full – but largely nominal – political and legal independence proffered by the central government and accepted by the TBVC states . In 1976, at a rally commemorating the Sharpeville massacre , he declared, "South Africa is one country. It has one destiny. Those who are attempting to divide the land of our birth are attempting to stem the tide of history." In April 1981, he rejected " Pretoria 's plans for this fraudulent independence", saying that Zulus would "prefer to die in
11136-497: The funeral of Robert Sobukwe in 1978 because supporters of the Pan Africanist Movement objected fiercely to his presence, throwing stones at him and calling him a "sell-out" and "government stooge". Though Buthelezi left the event at Tutu's request, he had reportedly told the youths, "If you chaps want to kill me, do so. I am prepared to die "; he reflected afterwards, "I remember our Lord 's crucifixion . He
11264-519: The greatness in them to formulate the tasks, let alone to pursue the tasks". While he was leader of KwaZulu, Buthelezi's relationship with the ANC was complex. Inkatha had been founded in 1975 with the blessing of the ANC leadership, including ANC president Oliver Tambo ; the ANC had been banned by the South African government since 1960 and operated in exile from Lusaka, Zambia. According to Buthelezi, he remained in contact with Tambo and with Nelson Mandela, then imprisoned, whom he respected greatly. In
11392-520: The highest peaks in summer. The Zululand north coast has the warmest climate and highest humidity, supporting many sugar cane farms around Pongola. KwaZulu-Natal borders the following areas of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho: Domestically, it borders the following provinces: The KwaZulu-Natal Province is divided into one metropolitan municipality and ten district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into 44 local municipalities . The local seat of each district municipality
11520-514: The hundreds of thousands than be forced to be foreigners in their homeland, which is South Africa". In 1982, Buthelezi led a political and legal battle to block the government from carrying out a proposed land deal, which would have seen the region of Ingwavuma in northern KwaZulu – from the Mozambican border in the west to the Indian Ocean coast in the east – ceded to neighbouring Swaziland . In this he partnered with Enos Mabuza , leader of
11648-471: The incumbent King Solomon kaDinuzulu . In 1923, she became the tenth but principal wife (and ultimately one of 40 wives) of Buthelezi's father, Mathole Buthelezi. Mathole Buthelezi was a traditional leader as chief of the Buthelezi clan and his marriage to the princess was arranged by King Solomon to heal a rift between the clan and the royal family . Buthelezi is sometimes referred to by his clan name, Shenge, used as an honorific . Buthelezi
11776-463: The line between the opposing forces followed the course of the Tugela River . In 1910, the colony became a province of the Union of South Africa and in 1961 of the Republic of South Africa. When the homeland of KwaZulu, which means "Place of the Zulu" was re-incorporated into the Natal province after the end of apartheid in 1994, the province of Natal, which had existed between 1910 and 1994,
11904-507: The monarchists in the knowledge that they were likely to "organiz[e] the authority on conservative lines in cooperation with the white bureaucracy". Admirers also point to his refusal to accept independence for KwaZulu, which – especially since KwaZulu was the country's most populous bantustan – stymied the full implementation of separate development. Speaking in December 1994, Gavin Relly ,
12032-536: The north, Newcastle is the province's industrial powerhouse, with Mittal Steel South Africa (previously ISPAT/ISCOR) and the Karbochem synthetic rubber plant dominating the economy. In 2002, Newcastle became the largest producer of chrome chemicals in Africa with the completion of a chrome-chemical plant, a joint-venture project between Karbochem and German manufacturing giant Bayer. Other large operations include
12160-479: The novel Cry, the Beloved Country , wrote: There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles (11 km) into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear
12288-475: The oppressed majority in the hiatus left by the banning of political parties [by the apartheid government]. From the very beginning, we spoke of equality, freedom, negotiations and peaceful resistance ". In the 1970s, Inkatha's declared objectives included the liberation of Africans from cultural domination by whites; the eradication of neocolonialism and imperialism ; the abolition of all forms of racial discrimination , racialism , and racial segregation ; and
12416-489: The outskirts of the city. Coal is mined in the Newcastle area. Offshore mining of heavy mineral sands including minerals with a concentration of significant economic importance at several locations, such as rutile , ilmenite and zircon are threatening the marine ecology of KwaZulu-Natal's coast, including the Tugela Banks. The fishing economy of the prawn and nurse fisheries are also threatened. Ecology tourism
12544-496: The population. The province also has the second-highest proportion of English speakers of South Africa's nine provinces (after the Western Cape ). According to the 2022 census , 74.9% of the population described themselves as Christians , the lowest proportion among South Africa's nine provinces. Substantial minorities of the population practice Traditional African religions , Hinduism , and Islam . KwaZulu-Natal has
12672-494: The position. Over the next decade, Zululand was transformed into KwaZulu , the most populous of the ten bantustans (or "homelands") established by the South African government as part of the NP's scheme of grand apartheid. Under the Bantu Self-Government Act, each of the Bantu or black African ethnic groups would govern itself, under Bantu authorities pursuing the policy of separate development , in
12800-459: The primary non-state perpetrator" of violence during the apartheid era and named him as "a major perpetrator of violence and human rights abuses". Prince Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi was born on 27 August 1928, at Ceza Swedish Missionary Hospital in Mahlabathini in southeastern Natal . His mother was Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu , the daughter of former Zulu King Dinuzulu and sister of
12928-536: The protection and resources of the KwaZulu state. From 1976, Inkatha rolled out "education for nationhood" in public schools, introducing Inkatha's "philosophy" into the curriculum, and public teachers were required to make time available for students to participate in the activities of Inkatha's youth wing , the Inkatha Youth Brigade. A 1993 report by Human Rights Watch concluded: Freedom of expression , assembly , and association all endorsed by
13056-971: The province of KwaZulu-Natal include: Abahlali baseMjondolo (shackdwellers') movement, the Diakonia Council of Churches, the Right2Know campaign, and the Unemployed People's Movement. There are various game reserves found in the province; one notable example is Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park , where the southern white rhinoceros was saved from extinction. In many of these larger reserves, large animals ranging from several antelope species to elephant , Cape buffalo and hippopotamus can be found. Predators include lions , leopards , and Cape wild dogs . Mangosuthu Buthelezi Prince Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi ( / ˌ m æ ŋ ɡ oʊ ˈ s uː t uː ˈ ɡ æ tʃ ə ˌ b ʊ t ə ˈ l eɪ z i / ; 27 August 1928 – 9 September 2023)
13184-603: The province's ethnic Zulu majority. After the election, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which previously had been the province's official opposition party, formed a coalition government with the ANC, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and the National Freedom Party . As part of the coalition agreement, the IFP's Thami Ntuli became premier , making him the first IFP member to hold the position in twenty years. Inkatha Freedom Party's Thami Ntuli
13312-409: The public profile of the monarchy, reviving it as a symbol of Zulu nationalism . Bolstered by royal support, state resources, and Buthelezi's personal popularity, Inkatha became one of the largest political organisations in the country. During the same period, Buthelezi publicly opposed apartheid and often took a patently obstructive stance toward the apartheid government. He lobbied consistently for
13440-566: The region's other traditional leaders, who "bought into and gave credence to his use of Zulu ethnic identity for political purposes". Buthelezi founded the Inkatha National Cultural Liberation Movement at KwaNzimela outside Melmoth on 21 March 1975 and became its first president. In Zulu , it was first known as Inkatha ya kaZulu (Inkatha of the Zulu), and then renamed Inkatha ye Sizwe (Inkatha of
13568-541: The regions joined to create KwaZulu-Natal. Besides its importance as a symbol of the Zulu monarchy, the lion is also featured in the state emblems of the India and the United Kingdom which together represent the three largest people groups in KwaZulu-Natal and also represents the unity between them. The zig-zag stripe represents the Drakensberg , which is green in summer, but snowcapped in winter. The star represents
13696-430: The release of Nelson Mandela and staunchly refused to accept the nominal independence which the government offered to KwaZulu, correctly judging that it was a superficial independence. However, Buthelezi was derided in some quarters for participating in the bantustan system, a central pillar of apartheid, and for his moderate stance on such issues as free markets , armed struggle, and international sanctions . He became
13824-521: The role was filled by Ngomane of the Mthethwas , and also point out that several kings in the intervening period did not have Buthelezis as advisers. Buthelezi's supporters sometimes claim instead that Nqengelele was a senior advisor "alongside Ngomane". Others point out that, especially since the colonial period , when traditional leadership structures were politicised to help administer indirect rule , traditional leadership positions "have rarely been
13952-645: The second largest regional economy in the country after Gauteng . Durban is a rapidly growing urban area and is by most measures the busiest port in Africa. A good railway network links the city to other areas of Southern Africa. Sugar refining is Durban's main industry. Sheep, cattle, dairy, citrus fruits, corn , sorghum , cotton, bananas, and pineapples are also raised. There is an embryonic KwaZulu-Natal wine industry. Other industries, located mainly in and around Durban, include textile, clothing, chemicals , rubber, fertiliser , paper, vehicle assembly and food-processing plants, tanneries, and oil refineries. To
14080-459: The south, widening in the northern part of the province, while the central Natal Midlands consists of an undulating hilly plateau rising toward the west. Two mountainous areas, the western Drakensberg Mountains and northern Lebombo Mountains form, respectively, a solid basalt wall rising over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) beside Lesotho border and low parallel ranges of ancient granite running southward from Eswatini. The area's largest river,
14208-506: The status of Zulu traditional leaders . This proposal did not take hold and Buthelezi became aggrieved by what he perceived as the growing marginalisation both of the IFP and of himself personally, as negotiations were increasingly dominated by the ANC, and the white National Party government. He established the Concerned South Africans Group with other conservatives , withdrew from the negotiations, and launched
14336-414: The territory was declared fully "self-governing" and its government was granted additional powers. The 1972 KwaZulu constitution vested all executive powers in Buthelezi and granted the Zulu king a largely ceremonial role, requiring him to "hold himself aloof from party politics and sectionalism ". This was a political triumph for Buthelezi. Viewed as a modernist, he had prevailed against monarchists in
14464-561: The town of Umzimkulu and its hinterland have been incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal following the 12th amendment of the Constitution of South Africa . The amendment also made other changes to the southern border of the province. The northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude traverses the province from the coast at Hibberdene ( 30°34′35″S 30°34′35″E / 30.57639°S 30.57639°E / -30.57639; 30.57639 ) to northeast Lesotho . The province became
14592-415: Was tribalism in disguise. Buthelezi had responded by criticising the exiled ANC in turn. By the mid-1980s, he claimed publicly that the ANC in exile was not the genuine standard-bearer of the pre-1960 ANC of Seme and Luthuli; Inkatha, instead, was the heir of its political principles and historical role in the liberation of black people in South Africa. He also founded in 1986 a conservative trade union,
14720-440: Was "more successful than any other homeland leader in asserting his own autonomy" against the apartheid state. In 1971, Buthelezi said that, "Homeland leaders who have accepted separate development have done so because it is the only way in which Blacks in South Africa can express themselves politically." He consistently lobbied for the government to make the separate development policy "meaningful" by granting genuine autonomy to
14848-425: Was "peculiar", described him as "a conservative nationalist intent on 'using the system against itself' by advancing anti-apartheid politics within the boundaries of government tolerance". In this vein, responding to the accusation that he had switched allegiances, Buthelezi said, "What I'm doing is working within the system". Indeed, historian Stephen Ellis wrote that, perhaps excepting Bantu Holomisa , Buthelezi
14976-453: Was a South African politician and Zulu prince who served as the traditional prime minister to the Zulu royal family from 1954 until his death in 2023. He was appointed to this post by King Bhekuzulu , the son of King Solomon kaDinuzulu , a brother to Buthelezi's mother Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu . Buthelezi was chief minister of the KwaZulu bantustan during apartheid and founded
15104-596: Was educated at Impumalanga Primary School at Mahashini in Nongoma from 1935 to 1943, then at Adams College , a famous mission school in Amanzimtoti , from 1944 to 1946. From 1948 to 1950, he studied at the University of Fort Hare in the eastern Cape Province . In 1948, the National Party was elected to government in South Africa and began implementing a formal system of apartheid , and Buthelezi joined
15232-495: Was influenced by that of Steve Biko , the leading Black Consciousness intellectual, who had argued that the apartheid government was exploiting Buthelezi – rather than vice versa, as Buthelezi believed – and that Buthelezi "solves so many conscience problems" both for white South Africans and for foreign observers. Indeed, in his famous exposition of blackness as a political identification, Biko used Buthelezi as his example of someone who appeared black but operated as an extension of
15360-640: Was not recognised until 1957, according to him because the government was wary of his activism. In other accounts, the delay was caused by a succession battle in the Buthelezi family, in which the government ultimately favoured Buthelezi over his elder half-brother Mceleli. Mceleli was later banished from the region. As chief, Buthelezi was involved in organising a ceremony to unveil the Shaka Memorial in Stanger in September 1954, sometimes called
15488-537: Was officially inaugurated as the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal on 18 June 2024. KwaZulu-Natal is the home to the Zulu monarch , currently King Misuzulu Zulu kaZwelithini. As of 2015 , the King of the Zulu Nation is provided a stipend of 54 million South African rands by the provincial government. He is also the chairman of the Ingonyama Trust , which controls 32% of the area of the province. Under provincial legislation
15616-434: Was primarily a traditionalist cultural movement. According to Buthelezi, adopting the name Inkatha had been the suggestion of Bishop Alphaeus Zulu , who hoped that an emphasis on cultural matters might protect the organisation from being banned by the apartheid government. Yet the new Inkatha had political aims: on the movement's 40th anniversary in 2015 Buthelezi said he had formed the party to "reignite mobilisation among
15744-569: Was promulgated for KwaZulu in 1972 to provide for "stage one" of the territory's self-government; it created the indirectly elected KwaZulu Legislative Assembly, dominated by traditional leaders, which replaced the Zululand Territorial Authority. Under this new system, Buthelezi became head of the executive branch as the Chief Executive Councillor of KwaZulu ; his title was changed to Chief Minister in February 1977 when
15872-483: Was renamed KwaZulu-Natal. The province is home to the Zulu monarchy; the majority population speak Zulu . It is the only province in South Africa that has the name of its dominant ethnic group as part of its name. As with Eastern Cape , most White South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal are of British descent and less than a quarter of whites in the province are of Boer/Afrikaner descent. The lion and wildebeest supporters are symbols of, respectively, KwaZulu and Natal,
16000-639: Was spat on too". The Black Consciousness Movement was particularly critical; for example, the South African Students' Organisation organised demonstrations at the University of Zululand in 1976 to protest the award of an honorary doctorate to Buthelezi. In the late 1970s, Tambo of the ANC told Herbert Vilakazi that "these '76 boys" – young ANC members radicalised during the 1976 Soweto Uprising and influenced by Black Consciousness – were insisting that he should "stop having relations with Buthelezi" and "consider him an enemy". Their stance
16128-456: Was succeeded by Velenkosini Hlabisa . In the 2019 general election , he was elected to a sixth consecutive term as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the IFP. He was the oldest MP in his country at the time of his death in 2023. Buthelezi's role during the final decades of apartheid is controversial, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission found that the IFP under Buthelezi's leadership "was
16256-459: Was the ANC's "fault". The turning point was a meeting between Buthelezi and Tambo in London on 30 October 1979. In Buthelezi's account of the meeting, the ANC proposed that Inkatha operate as its surrogate in KwaZulu, particularly providing safe houses and recruits for the armed wing Umkhonto weSizwe ; Buthelezi refused because he objected to the ANC's armed struggle. According to an analyst at
16384-446: Was traditionally responsible for providing the royal family with its prime ministers, although the term itself was apparently a new innovation and referred to what previously might have been called the king's premier chief, his most senior advisor among the traditional leaders beneath him. He pointed in particular to his paternal great-grandfather, Mnyamana, who was a senior advisor to his maternal great-grandfather, King Cetshwayo, during
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