Page 60 - Heritage Streets of KwaMashu 2025

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HERITAGE STREETS OF KWA-MASHU
As the shoreline of rivers is relatively much greater than in lakes, the intimate connection between subsequent landscapes and river water is enhanced. Above all the medium, river water, is continuously passing away and this creates profoundly different conditions for life.
Piercing the land, rivers are communication channels for organisms, which migrate and colonize. This applies also to man. He had to live near water and rivers gave more opportunities to travel and search.
Amanzimtoti:
One of the famous streets is Amanzimtoti Road – where the well-known and international soccer player Siyabonga “Bhele” Nomvete resides. It is also in this C-Section where Andrew Zondo, known as “Amanzimtoti Bomber” was staying. Andrew Sibusiso Zondo grew up in this Kwa-Mashu section. He attended Ngazane Lower Primary School and went on to Phakama Higher Primary School across his home. After completing primary school, he attended Nhlakanipho High School in his hometown but did not complete his studies. He developed an interest in politics at a young age, and by the age of 16, became a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and went into exile in Mozambique, where he eventually trained as a guerrilla under uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in Angola instead, to oppose the apartheid government. The 1980s was a turbulent time in South Africa, and after reading a report about the December 1985, massacre in Maseru where nine ANC cadres were murdered, Zondo was instructed to retaliate against the apartheid forces. On 23 December 1985, Zondo planted a bomb at Sanlam shopping centre in Amanzimtoti which killed five people and injured 140. He was sentenced to death five times and was hanged on 9 September 1986. There can be no doubt that South Africa’s freedom was paid for with the precious blood of martyrs like Cde Andrew Sibusiso Zondo.
“Amanzimtoti”is a river south of Durban, in an area today known as Amanzimtoti (south of eThekwini Municipality in Durban city). Oral heritage history narration says it was King Shaka who gave the river this name after tasting its sweet waters. He could not say the water “amNandi” (sweet/nice) in respect of his mother Princess Nandi of the Elangeni clan people. He therefore said the water is “mtoti” which equates to nice/sweet – hence the name Amanzimtoti. This was after passing another river that had dirty water, with boiling-like waters (u”Mbilo” = bila – boiling) – and so Shaka couldn’t drink there, as well as at uMlaza, where he tasted the sourly like old milk water – hereafter the name u”Mlaza” (and the biggest township south of Durban is named after this river, uMlaza).
There is also a well-known entertainment spot in the area, Wiseman Shisanyama adjacent Phakama Primary School. Famous TV/Film actresses from this area are internationally acclaimed Brenda Mhlongo and Nomzamo Mbatha among others as well as Gugulethu Mzobe. Famous businessman Khulubuse Zuma is also from this section, in an area called “Ireland” along the railway line towards Kwa-Mashu station.
Note: Water (Amanzi) – here are the of names that are used by Zulu people to respect the naming of amanzi: amaDa, amaCubane, amaKwete. amaNdambi, amaTheku, amaYiwa or amaYiwane, indluyengwenya or indluyesele.
Other explanations of river roads in this section are:
• uMfolozi (umfula – wozi – the river of uzi trees – which were used for making traditional ropes for cattle rearing). This river in Zululand District, start as two rivers and submerged as they about to reach the sea. By the time they reach the Mtubatuba area of the Mkhwanazi people, it is one uMfolozi river.