KwaDukuza

KwaDukuza (also known as Stanger) is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, its official name was changed from Stanger to KwaDukuza, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well before then, and many South Africans still use the name "Stanger" (see below). "Stanger" has also been used on new road signs in the area.[3][4][5]

"Stanger" redirects here. For the surname, see Stanger (surname).
This article is about the town. For the local municipality with the same name, see KwaDukuza Local Municipality.
KwaDukuza

Stanger
KwaDukuza
KwaDukuza
Coordinates: 29°20′00″S 31°17′30″E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
DistrictiLembe
MunicipalityKwaDukuza
Established1825 as Dukuza, 1873 as Stanger [1]
Area
 • Total32.37 km2 (12.50 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total51,536
 • Density1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African53.0%
 • Coloured1.9%
 • Indian/Asian43.7%
 • White0.7%
 • Other0.7%
First languages (2011)
 • English47.7%
 • Zulu46.0%
 • Xhosa1.4%
 • Other4.8%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
4449
PO box
4450

Name

The town was named to honour William Stanger, a surveyor-general in South Africa. In 2006, the Minister of Arts and Culture approved a name change from Stanger to KwaDukuza, which was published in the Government Gazette of South Africa on 3 March 2006.

History
Albert Luthuli statue in KwaDukuza
King Shaka memorial stone in KwaDukuza

The town was founded about 1820 by King Shaka and was named KwaDukuza (Zulu: Place of the Lost Person) because of the capital's labyrinth of huts. After Shaka was assassinated on 22 September 1828 during a coup by two of his half-brothers, Dingane and Umthlangana (Mhlangane), the town was burnt to the ground. In 1873, European settlers built a town on the site, naming it Stanger after William Stanger, the surveyor-general of Natal.

Stanger became a municipality in 1949 and is the commercial, magisterial and railway centre of an important sugar-producing district. A small museum adjoins the site of Shaka's grave, a grain pit in the town centre. The town and its vibrant inhabitants are surrounded by sugar cane fields, bush and the mahogany tree where Shaka held meetings, which still stands in front of the municipal offices. The Shaka Day festival, a colorful ceremony of 10,000 or more Zulus, is held at the KwaDukuza Recreation Grounds on 24 September every year. The festival is usually attended by dignitaries to mark the significance of the Zulu nation.

The Stanger North Coast Museum houses historical items and information on Shaka, the sugar industry and local history. The town has an eastern flavour because of the influx of labourers from India in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries for sugarcane barons, such as Liege Hulett. The first few hundred Indian families left Port Natal for the cane farms on 17 November 1860. The importing of Indian laborers was stopped in 1911, when their numbers exceeded 100,000. Most Indians did not return when their work contracts expired but exchanged their return-trip passes for money or property. The growth of the Indian community changed the economic and cultural nature of the town. Celebrations include Diwali and the Winter Fair, the latter being a fundraiser for child welfare.

Climate

The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies the KwaDuzuka climate as humid subtropical (Cfa),[6] with more rain in the summer.

The highest record temperature was 43 °C (109 °F) on February 3, 2008, and the lowest record temperature was 5 °C (41 °F) on June 12, 2013.[7]

Climate data for KwaDukuza
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 40
(104)		 43
(109)		 41
(106)		 38
(100)		 39
(102)		 37
(99)		 35
(95)		 39
(102)		 43
(109)		 41
(106)		 41
(106)		 41
(106)		 43
(109)
Average high °C (°F) 28.4
(83.1)		 28.7
(83.7)		 28.3
(82.9)		 26.5
(79.7)		 24.8
(76.6)		 23.2
(73.8)		 22.8
(73.0)		 23.8
(74.8)		 24.6
(76.3)		 25.2
(77.4)		 26.2
(79.2)		 27.8
(82.0)		 25.9
(78.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.2
(75.6)		 24.5
(76.1)		 23.9
(75.0)		 21.8
(71.2)		 19.4
(66.9)		 17.3
(63.1)		 16.9
(62.4)		 18.2
(64.8)		 19.6
(67.3)		 20.8
(69.4)		 21.9
(71.4)		 23.5
(74.3)		 21.0
(69.8)
Average low °C (°F) 20.1
(68.2)		 20.4
(68.7)		 19.5
(67.1)		 17.1
(62.8)		 14.1
(57.4)		 11.5
(52.7)		 11.1
(52.0)		 12.6
(54.7)		 14.6
(58.3)		 16.4
(61.5)		 17.7
(63.9)		 19.3
(66.7)		 16.2
(61.2)
Record low °C (°F) 16
(61)		 15
(59)		 15
(59)		 11
(52)		 6
(43)		 5
(41)		 6
(43)		 6
(43)		 5
(41)		 10
(50)		 7
(45)		 14
(57)		 5
(41)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 118
(4.6)		 120
(4.7)		 125
(4.9)		 72
(2.8)		 60
(2.4)		 37
(1.5)		 33
(1.3)		 41
(1.6)		 60
(2.4)		 92
(3.6)		 114
(4.5)		 119
(4.7)		 991
(39)
Source 1: Climate-Data.org (altitude: 60m)[6]
Source 2: Voodoo Skies for record temperatures[7]

Healthcare

In February 2018, the town opened the KwaDukuza Private Hospital, the second major hospital in the area.

Schools
  • Stanger Manor Secondary School
  • Stanger Secondary School
  • Glenhills Secondary School
  • Glenhills Primary School
  • Stanger M.L. Sultan Secondary School
  • Stanger High School
  • Dawnview Primary School
  • Zakkariyya Muslim School
  • Stanger Primary School
  • Stanger Manor Primary School
  • Stanger South Secondary School
  • Tshelenkosi secondary school

Notable residents

See also

References
  1. "KwaDUKUZA / STANGER – A History". sahistory.org. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  2. "Main Place KwaDukuza". Census 2011.
  3. Watson Highway, La Mercy, South Africa (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  4. R 102, Nkwazi, South Africa (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  5. N2, South Africa (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  6. "Climate: KwaDukuza - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
  7. "Stanger, South Africa". Voodoo Skies. Retrieved 2014-01-17.
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