Page 23 - Heritage Streets of KwaMashu 2025

HERITAGE STREETS OF KWA-MASHU 19
the Marshall family, but the African-Zulu tongue struggled to pronounce the name ‘Marshall’. They therefore referred to the area as “kukwaMashu” or “KwaMashu”, which roughly translated, means “a home or place of Marshall”. Kwa-Mashu was a “location” “lokishini” – where African labour is” located” for white capitalists.
Post 1994, many cities, and communities started with a process of naming streets which were not named before or renaming if streets which had names deemed to be unsuitable to a particular area or community. This process was promoted by the South African government as a post-apartheid attempt at reconciliation and nation-building – (and is still an ongoing consultative process). In Durban (eThekwini), the process of renaming streets in Kwa-Mashu coincided with a city-wide
initiative to engage communities. While the processes followed had mixed responses from community members – with some saying that the process was not fair and transparent and influenced by local politics, others indicated that they were happy with the process. Many streets in KwaMashu were renamed according to various themes proposed, including naming of streets after famous people or community ‘heroes and heroines’ who had already passed on. However, Kwa Mashu themes mostly referred to innate objects such as trees or cultural references such as traditional medicine and attire. The eThekwini Municipality’s Department of Geography and Information Unit, Masakhane Committee, Ward Committees, and the Full Council are in charge of renaming of streets.
IJUBA SPECIAL BEER IS BORN
With more and more men residing in Durban hostels, and spending their spare drinking Zulu beer, mainly at Mkhumbane (Cato Manor, “Kwa-Kito”) – white capitalists saw an opportunity to exploit for huge profit making. IJuba Sorghum Beer Factory was established under the management of Sir Bourquin (referred to by Zulu hostel men as “Bhokweni”) –a Canadian
by birth. It is said “Bhokweni” spoke with Mntwana Phika kaSitheku from Ntembeni (Thembeni), investigating the secret of making that Zulu Beer so loved by the Zulu men. With that secret “Bhokweni” found an added quickening ingredient to
the original Zulu beer and IJUBA Special was born – that led to the opening of more Beer halls in all early townships and hostels.