Nongoma

Municipality

Municipality: Nongoma Local Municipality
District Municipality: Zululand District Municipality

Nongoma is on the R66 between Ulundi (55Km) and Pongola, and the R618 between Hlabisa at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and Hlobane, near Vryheid. Durban is 300Km south. The Black Umfolozi River flows about 15Km south of town.

The town serves as a marketplace for the surrounding rural areas.

Ngome State Forest

The Ngome State Forest has five different habitat types: grass, open forest, dense forest, ecotone and pine. It is located on the southern slopes of the mist-belt, which is one of the wettest areas in the country with high localised rainfall.

In the early 1800s, Chief Mzilikazi Khumalo had a fall-out with the Zulu King Shaka. Mzilikazi first hid in the Ngome Forests, but later fled to the area of contemporary Limpopo Province in South Africa where they were known as the Ndebele (usually spelled Matabele) nation. After the Dutch pioneers, the Voortrekkers, occuppied the area, Mzilikazi and his people moved further north to the region of contemporary Zimbabwe.

Mzilikazi Khumalo

Ntendeka Wilderness Area

The Ntendeka Wilderness Area (5'250Ha) lies within the indigenous Ngome forest and has been a protected area since 1905. It has 45Km of footpaths, one of which (The Zulu Highway), has been in use for a very long time - at least since the early 1820s, and most likely even longer ago.

The topography is varied with deep ravines and high cliffs.

Animals: baboon, samango monkey, vervet monkey, bushbuck, duiker, leopard, porcupine, bushpig.

Birds: almost 200 species. The endangered Blue Swallow breeds here.

Vegetation: 180 tree species. There are rare orchids and lilies in the forest.

Royal palaces

The present Zulu King, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu (1971-), has four palaces around Nongoma, and they are open to the public:

Khethomthandayo Royal Palace
Kwakhangelamankengane Royal Palace
Linduzulu Royal Palace (where Queen MaNdlovu lives)
Enyokeni Royal Palace (where Queen MaMchiza lives). This is the King's only 'traditional' palace.

Events

An annual two-day festival usually held in September, is the Zulu Reed Dance (uMkhosi woMhlanga), which was copied from Swazi tradition by King Zwelithini.

History

The area has had Zulu royal presence since early days.

King Solomon kaDinuzulu (1891-1933), who reigned 1913-1933 is buried here, and so is King Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon (1924-1968), who reigned 1948-1968, and who is the father of King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu.

In 1887 British Fort Ivuna as a protective zone against the Zulu warring factions of uSuthu and Mandlakazi. The town developed around the fort. The town was called Ndwandwe, but changed back to the older name Nongoma - KwaNongoma either means place of the diviner or mother of songs

In 1888 the town was destroyed by the troops of uSuthu, and later rebuilt.

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