Page 65 - Heritage Streets of KwaMashu 2025

SECTION D
EZINTABENI/ IESIBUBULUNGU
n Africa, mountains are referred to as “water towers”. In a continent dominated by arid and semi-arid areas, water supply greatly depends on the rivers originating mainly in the mountains. The most obvious and often majestic
features of the topography of a region’s mountains have always filled people with a sense of awe and wonder. A scrutiny of the relevant resources shows that especially solitary mountains, evoke an attitude of reverence so that they are often regarded as holy or sacred phenomena by the people living near them – like Nhlangakazi Mountain’s relevance to the popular Shembe church (found near the Ndwedwe area). Nhlangakazi is also a street name of Kwa-Mashu’s Section D (also locally referred to as “Kwa D Omusha” (new area of section D – with the adjacent one referred to as “Kwa D Omdala” (old D section)).
The symbolic and religious significance of mountains are endless. From this perspective, it is clear that sacred mountains are mainly regarded as centres of the world, places of sacrifice and revelation, dwelling places or abodes of deities, and sources of life, fertility, and inspiration. The association between such sacred mountains and the religious and cosmological views of people is self-evident. From the above exposition, it is clear that certain mountains are endowed with a special place of sanctity in the life of local people and therefore require conservation. Mountains cover 25% of the world’s land surface and are home to about 10% of its population, most of whom depend on mountain resources for their livelihoods. A key link between the actions of mountains and wider populations is that most of the world’s major rivers rise in mountain areas: mountains are the world’s ‘water towers’, and the sustainable management of their watersheds is vital for the provision of high-quality water to
billions of people, as well as for ensuring that the risks of natural hazards, such as floods and landslides, are minimized.
Approximately half of Africa’s countries have mountains higher than 2000m, with mountains above 4500m being concentrated in the north-western, central, and eastern regions. Those mountains cover an estimated 3 million km2 of surface area and ensure life-supporting goods and services for millions of people by providing water, food, and energy security at the local, national, and regional levels. The mountains are linked to and directly support the lowlands.
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