Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal
Encyclopedia
Umzinto is a town 10 kilometres inland from Park Rynie on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal
in South Africa
in the Umdoni Local Municipality which is under the Ugu District Municipality. It was a sugarcane
growing area and the town was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. The first public company in Natal was established at Umzinto in 1858. Umzinto has grown and developed to a self-sustaining urban place.
Legend has it that the town's name derives from the encounter of two gentlemen, one of whom was named Um. Upon encountering a stream, the two decided to cross it, but Um did not notice the crocodile lurking beneath the surface. Subsequently Um was attacked by the crocodile, and bitten in half. "Um's in two!" his friend exclaimed. This is merely a fable written by Jonathan Swift and is not true. There is a dispute about the original name of Umzinto. History says it is Umenzi wezinto, a Zulu name meaning doer of things and due to continuous mis-pronunciation by white people it was convenient for everyone to say Umzinto, which we know today. But other history says it was named after a river, Mzinto River, which passes the town.
Unofficially, Umzinto was at one time the 'Capital' of Alexandra County, a district that also includes the areas and suburbs surrounding the towns of Scottburgh, Umkomaas, and Sezela-Pennington. Umzinto hosted two class-A cricket matches at the Alexandra Memorial Ground, one on March 2, 1974, when Natal B hosted Griqualand West in the Currie Cup Section B, and again on March 19, 1977, when Natal B faced Border in the same contest.
Today, Umzinto remains a semi-Urban town, with not much progress compared to its neighbouring town of Scottburgh. This is due to the Group Areas Act of the previous Apartheid era. It was once the home of three large textile mills, namely Alitex, Bally Spinning Mills and MYM Textiles that used to export abroad. Today only one survives and is not as productive as it used to be. Consequently, this has affected the economy of Umzinto negatively.
Umzinto also houses a Darul-Uloom called Madrassa Da'watul Haq that has produced many graduates who have memorised the entire Quraan.
The municipality has not maintained the roads and currently the roads are in a deplorable condition.
In 1995 low cost housing was developed on the outskirts called Gandhi Nagar.
Population: 50000
Religions: Islam, Hindu, Christian, Shembe
Schools: Umzinto Vale, Umzinto Secondary School, Umzinto Islamic School, Roseville Secondary
Halls: Sanathan Hall, Islamic Cultural Centre
History
Pioneers of Umzinto include the Ramdin & Radhalal, Mansoor,Dawoods, Govender, Ally, Singh, Karim, Khan and Kadwa families.
The sugar cane fields on the outskirts of Umzinto are owned and run by Crookes Brothers a JSE listed company.they are still thriving.
In the 50's, Agnus Durie was Manager of the Archibald's Hotel.
The menu was table d'hote and not a la carte, but with the wonderful Indian chefs, the food unusual and delicious.
There was also a narrow gauge railroad in front and across the street, carrying sugar cane to
the Crooke's Sugar Mill.
The staff used to gather on the lush banks of the Mzinto River in the rear of the hotal and sip on 'cane spirits' a very potent liquor destilled in illegal stills by the locals.
A typical day was a huge 'English breakfast', followed by packing the car for the beach, towls, buckets, spades, balls, bathing suits, tanning lotion and of course food and drink.
Until halfway the eighties, Umzinto was served by a railway station on the Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway
Today
Driving through the main road, one will find old buildings and businesses as early as the 1900s. Taking the old Esperanza Road one will find the Archibalds bakery which is now run by Albany.
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....
in 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...
in the Umdoni Local Municipality which is under the Ugu District Municipality. It was a sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
growing area and the town was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. The first public company in Natal was established at Umzinto in 1858. Umzinto has grown and developed to a self-sustaining urban place.
Legend has it that the town's name derives from the encounter of two gentlemen, one of whom was named Um. Upon encountering a stream, the two decided to cross it, but Um did not notice the crocodile lurking beneath the surface. Subsequently Um was attacked by the crocodile, and bitten in half. "Um's in two!" his friend exclaimed. This is merely a fable written by Jonathan Swift and is not true. There is a dispute about the original name of Umzinto. History says it is Umenzi wezinto, a Zulu name meaning doer of things and due to continuous mis-pronunciation by white people it was convenient for everyone to say Umzinto, which we know today. But other history says it was named after a river, Mzinto River, which passes the town.
Unofficially, Umzinto was at one time the 'Capital' of Alexandra County, a district that also includes the areas and suburbs surrounding the towns of Scottburgh, Umkomaas, and Sezela-Pennington. Umzinto hosted two class-A cricket matches at the Alexandra Memorial Ground, one on March 2, 1974, when Natal B hosted Griqualand West in the Currie Cup Section B, and again on March 19, 1977, when Natal B faced Border in the same contest.
Today, Umzinto remains a semi-Urban town, with not much progress compared to its neighbouring town of Scottburgh. This is due to the Group Areas Act of the previous Apartheid era. It was once the home of three large textile mills, namely Alitex, Bally Spinning Mills and MYM Textiles that used to export abroad. Today only one survives and is not as productive as it used to be. Consequently, this has affected the economy of Umzinto negatively.
Umzinto also houses a Darul-Uloom called Madrassa Da'watul Haq that has produced many graduates who have memorised the entire Quraan.
The municipality has not maintained the roads and currently the roads are in a deplorable condition.
In 1995 low cost housing was developed on the outskirts called Gandhi Nagar.
Population: 50000
Religions: Islam, Hindu, Christian, Shembe
Schools: Umzinto Vale, Umzinto Secondary School, Umzinto Islamic School, Roseville Secondary
Halls: Sanathan Hall, Islamic Cultural Centre
History
Pioneers of Umzinto include the Ramdin & Radhalal, Mansoor,Dawoods, Govender, Ally, Singh, Karim, Khan and Kadwa families.
The sugar cane fields on the outskirts of Umzinto are owned and run by Crookes Brothers a JSE listed company.they are still thriving.
In the 50's, Agnus Durie was Manager of the Archibald's Hotel.
The menu was table d'hote and not a la carte, but with the wonderful Indian chefs, the food unusual and delicious.
There was also a narrow gauge railroad in front and across the street, carrying sugar cane to
the Crooke's Sugar Mill.
The staff used to gather on the lush banks of the Mzinto River in the rear of the hotal and sip on 'cane spirits' a very potent liquor destilled in illegal stills by the locals.
A typical day was a huge 'English breakfast', followed by packing the car for the beach, towls, buckets, spades, balls, bathing suits, tanning lotion and of course food and drink.
Until halfway the eighties, Umzinto was served by a railway station on the Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway
Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway
The Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway is a closed two-foot railway line in South Africa. It runs from Kelso to Donnybrook, passing through Umzinto, Highflats and Ixopo, with a branch from Ixopo to Madonela...
Today
Driving through the main road, one will find old buildings and businesses as early as the 1900s. Taking the old Esperanza Road one will find the Archibalds bakery which is now run by Albany.