Page 32 - Heritage Streets of KwaMashu 2025

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HERITAGE STREETS OF KWA-MASHU
KWA-MASHU STREET NAMING STORY
The importance of ikhaya (home) in African set-up meant the foundation of everything for person’s life. Building a home(stead) required appropriate and careful planning process. Once the place to build a home had been identified and agreed upon by the family and isigodi (neighbourhood) – a report was made to inform the ancestors who would be the custodian of the new home as an extension. In many African cultures, the establishment of a new settlement requires rites to be performed. The community has to appropriate space and resources from the habitat of plants, animals, and spirits. Thus, though life in the settlement is dependent on the ecological resources around the homestead.
For example, certain trees would be selected for planting in the new home, and each for various reasons and functions. Umsinsi was the most popular tree to be planted at home. The other popular tree was the
umthombo, especially next to the kraal. Some trees were umgoswana, usolo or umkhambi among others. The most popular tree planted inside the kraal was umnungumabele – it was good for the cattle to rub against it, usually to remove annoying insects such as amakhizane. Sometimes usolo (umgadankawu) tree would be planted just outside the homestead, and so would be the umgoswana. It is noticeable that these were the trees that did not usually attract annoying insects or bugs. Usolo and umgoswana were usually utilised as a place for meetings and even to solve community cases (ukuthetha amacala esigodi) (it is interesting that today gossip news are referred to as umgosi, probably linked to umgoswana (which in this context would mean “small news” izindaba ezihhemuzwayo). Please note that only invited people would attend such cases, and only certain people are allowed to
comment. For example, an unmarried would not be allowed to comment in these meetings – perhaps as a way to encourage men to always aspire to build their fathers’ homes. (Remarks like “thula wena Khumalo awuganiwe” were common (“do not comment Khumalo you are not married yet”).
Once all the necessities of building a home were completed, it was expected that such a home would have ukuthula (peaceful nesizotha), with joy - uku-jabula, happiness (intokozo) and umoya omnandi (of respect). To achieve all these, they stem from ukuvumelana (agreeing) for the homestead to be built, populated with people, allocated the ploughing fields, and have livestock (cows, goats, chickens, etc.). This is the story of Section A’s Street naming!
Enter, Section B where you find street names of imigidi yesintu. Every home is expected to honor a series of imigido ukuze libe ikhaya elivuthiwe (a home with warmth and life). Here we mean imigido (ceremonies) such as ukukhuliswa kwengane kusuka