Assagay
Encyclopedia
Assagay is a suburb of eThekwini
in KwaZulu-Natal
, South Africa
and forms a part of the Upper Highway Area
.
adjacent to its sister village of Hillcrest
and has now effectively become part of that booming suburb of Durban. Assagay lost its independent Health Committee status in 1996, i.e. after the 1994 fully democratic elections, and was made subject to administration by the Outer West Local Council - a substructure council of the then Durban Unicity. Subsequently in 2000 this body, i.e. the Outer West Local Council, along with other local councils, were disestablished and replaced by the single eThekwini Municipality encompassing the entire Durban metropolitan area.
. While Kassier Road links it via Old Main Road to the central commercial area of Hillcrest.
The suburb of Assagay had become known as a middle-income residential area containing a mixture of individual houses, small holdings and small town house complexes; however the considerable development in the greater Hillcrest area, over the past 10 years, has tended to change this image of the area. Large secure gated estates such as Queensbridge, Silver Oaks, Highmead and the nearby Aintree Lane residential development at Shongweni surrounding the Assagay Hotel (previously known as the Polo Pony Hotel) have seen the character change to more of a high-income area. The PheZulu Safari Park and the currently developing Stoneford Equestrian Estate, which is in Assagay and borders on Alverstone which is situated on the plateau of that name.
The new Hillcrest Private Hospital which is now operational and a Retirement Village which is under construction has easy access to the M13. These developments have further boosted the property values in this up-market area.
International Polo (sponsored by BMW
) is played to the Shongweni Polo Ground opposite the Assagay Hotel.
now part of the Eastern Cape. The name for the village of Assagay will have in turn been taken from the underlying farm named Assagay Kraal. The Voortrekkers
having named the early farms in their Natalia Republic
(Natal) after settling throughout the area in 1839 after defeating the amaZulu (Zulu) king Dingane
. NB. The parcels of land comrising the adjacent Alverstone
area are still portions of the farm Assagay Kraal No 853.
Ethekwini
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality created in 2000 that includes the city of Durban, South Africa and surrounding towns. eThekwini is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The majority of its 3,090,126 people speak Zulu...
in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and forms a part of the Upper Highway Area
Upper Highway Area
The Upper Highway area is a region west of the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.It includes the main suburbs of Kloof and Hillcrest, as well as the smaller areas of Assagay, Botha's Hill, Forest Hills, Gillitts, Waterfall and Winston Park....
.
History
Assagay was formerly a small local authority on the outskirts of DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
adjacent to its sister village of Hillcrest
Hillcrest
-Australia:*Hillcrest, Queensland, a suburb of Logan City*Hillcrest, South Australia, suburb of Adelaide-Canada:*Hillcrest, Alberta, also known as Hillcrest Mines*Hillcrest, Norfolk County, Ontario, an unincorporated community...
and has now effectively become part of that booming suburb of Durban. Assagay lost its independent Health Committee status in 1996, i.e. after the 1994 fully democratic elections, and was made subject to administration by the Outer West Local Council - a substructure council of the then Durban Unicity. Subsequently in 2000 this body, i.e. the Outer West Local Council, along with other local councils, were disestablished and replaced by the single eThekwini Municipality encompassing the entire Durban metropolitan area.
Assagay today
Assagay has excellent access to both the M13 and N3 freeway systems linking it directly with Durban and PietermaritzburgPietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
. While Kassier Road links it via Old Main Road to the central commercial area of Hillcrest.
The suburb of Assagay had become known as a middle-income residential area containing a mixture of individual houses, small holdings and small town house complexes; however the considerable development in the greater Hillcrest area, over the past 10 years, has tended to change this image of the area. Large secure gated estates such as Queensbridge, Silver Oaks, Highmead and the nearby Aintree Lane residential development at Shongweni surrounding the Assagay Hotel (previously known as the Polo Pony Hotel) have seen the character change to more of a high-income area. The PheZulu Safari Park and the currently developing Stoneford Equestrian Estate, which is in Assagay and borders on Alverstone which is situated on the plateau of that name.
The new Hillcrest Private Hospital which is now operational and a Retirement Village which is under construction has easy access to the M13. These developments have further boosted the property values in this up-market area.
International Polo (sponsored by BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
) is played to the Shongweni Polo Ground opposite the Assagay Hotel.
Conservation and the environment
The Assagay Valley is a spectacular area. It forms the original catchment area of the Umhlatuzana River which flows through the Madwala Reserves. The Assagay Conservancy has an academy program which offers a course to staff and residents that manage properties in the area. An initiative which is aimed to promote goodwill, conservation practices and sustainable land use is one of Assagay Conservancies innovative projects. “Working for Water” have made a great contribution towards clearing the area of invasive plants and remain committed to eradicate all alien flora with the assistance and cooperation of Assagay’s landowners.Items of interest
- Assagay Hotel
- SA Polo
- PheZulu Safari Park
- Property Magazine - Do Search for article on Assagay under KwaZulu-Natal
- The Assagay Conservancy, Ratepayers and Assagay Small Holders official website.
- http://www.chillifields.co.za Guesthouse in the Assagay Valley
Origin of name
Assagay is perhaps more commonly spelt in South Africa as Assagaai. It is the word used for a throwing spear as historically used by the amaXhosa (Xhosa) of the TranskeiTranskei
The Transkei , officially the Republic of Transkei , was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa...
now part of the Eastern Cape. The name for the village of Assagay will have in turn been taken from the underlying farm named Assagay Kraal. The Voortrekkers
Voortrekkers
The Voortrekkers were emigrants during the 1830s and 1840s who left the Cape Colony moving into the interior of what is now South Africa...
having named the early farms in their Natalia Republic
Natalia Republic
The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic, established in 1839 by local Afrikaans-speaking Voortrekkers shortly after the Battle of Blood River. The republic was located on the coast of the Indian Ocean beyond the Eastern Cape, and was previously named Natalia by Portuguese sailors. The...
(Natal) after settling throughout the area in 1839 after defeating the amaZulu (Zulu) king Dingane
Dingane
Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu —commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan—was a Zulu chief who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828...
. NB. The parcels of land comrising the adjacent Alverstone
Alverstone
Alverstone is a village 3 kilometres from the east coast of the Isle of Wight, near Sandown. When Richard Webster became Chief Justice of England in 1900, he chose the title Lord Alverstone because it was the title he was permitted to choose which was "closest" to Sandown, one of his favourite...
area are still portions of the farm Assagay Kraal No 853.