KwaDukuza


KwaDukuza is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, its official name was changed from Stanger to KwaDukuza, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well before then, and many South Africans still use the name "Stanger". "Stanger" has also been used on new road signs in the area.

Name

The town was named to honour William Stanger, a surveyor-general in South Africa. 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.

History

The town was founded about 1820 by King Shaka and was named KwaDukuza 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, the town 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.
Stanger became a municipality in 1949 and is the commercial, magisterial and railway centre of an important sugar-producing district. A small museum adjoins the site of Shaka's grave, a grain pit in the town centre. The town and its vibrant inhabitants are surrounded by sugar cane fields, bush and the mahogany 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.
The Stanger North Coast Museum houses historical items and information on Shaka, the sugar industry and local history. The town has an eastern flavour 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 importing of Indian laborers 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 town. Celebrations include Diwali and the Winter Fair, the latter being a fundraiser for child welfare.

Climate

The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies the KwaDuzuka climate as humid subtropical, 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 town opened the KwaDukuza Private Hospital, the second major hospital in the area.

Schools