OThongathi

oThongathi, previously and still commonly known as Tongaat, is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about north of Durban and south of KwaDukuza. It now forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, or the Greater Durban area. The area is home to the oldest Indian community in South Africa, having been where the first indentured Indian laborers settled in 1860 to work in the sugar-cane plantations. Much of the architectural style in the town was the work of Ivan Mitford-Barberton, and many buildings are in the Cape Dutch style of architecture. Prior to 1 December 2023, vehicle registration plates in oThongathi started with NJ - N for Natal. It is still unknown exactly what the J stands for as this vehicle registration code also covered Verulam, Inanda and Ntuzuma.

oThongathi, previously and still commonly known as Tongaat, is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about north of Durban and south of KwaDukuza. It now forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, or the Greater Durban area. The area is home to the oldest Indian community in South Africa, having been where the first indentured Indian laborers settled in 1860 to work in the sugar-cane plantations. Much of the architectural style in the town was the work of Ivan Mitford-Barberton, and many buildings are in the Cape Dutch style of architecture. Prior to 1 December 2023, vehicle registration plates in oThongathi started with NJ - N for Natal. It is still unknown exactly what the J stands for as this vehicle registration code also covered Verulam, Inanda and Ntuzuma. ==History== oThongathi was established as Tongaat in 1945¹ and its name was taken from the name of the uThongathi River which passes by the town: The name of the river, derived from Zulu, is said to mean In 2017 plans were made for the restoration of the historic railway station building. On June 3, 2024, a large tornado struck the town, uprooting trees, damaging vehicles, and causing multiple homes to collapse in the Magwaveni and Sandfields neighborhoods. At least 11 people were killed and at least 55 others were injured. ==Law and government== ===Municipal re-demarcation=== As the 2024 national government elections near, there have recently been several demarcation proposals made by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) to relocate Wards 58, 61 and 62 of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality which includes oThongathi to be relocated to the neighbouring KwaDukuza and Ndwedwe local municipalities in the iLembe District Municipality. Wards 58 and 62 would be relocated to KwaDukuza and Ward 61 would be relocated to Ndwedwe. It has also been highlighted that the relocation of Ward 61 to Ndwedwe is in a bid to stimulate economic activity in Ndwedwe, a largely rural municipality with high levels of unemployment and little economic and social development. The reason for the relocation was also attributed to the fact that oThongathi serves as the nearest urban service centre to the Ndwedwe area. A final decision on the demarcation proposals is yet to made as several objections and concerns have been raised over the negative economic impact it could have on eThekwini. ===Name change=== In November 2009, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality submitted a list of places in the municipality to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Geographic Names Committee to be changed from their anglicised names to the correct Zulu spelling. In the list, the town Tongaat was to be changed to "oThongathi" and the Tongaat River was to be changed to "uThongathi River". On 1 October 2010, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture gazette the list of approved name changes which included the town of Tongaat and the Tongaat River. Ever since the name change, the South African National Roads Agency Ltd. (SANRAL) has changed the road signs on the N2 leading to and at the uShukela Drive interchange (Exit 202) just outside oThongathi, however there are still several road signs that still remain with the name "Tongaat" and many Durbanites and residents of oThongathi still refer to it by its previous name. ==Economy== ==Notable people== Ahmed Amla, cricketer Ansuyah Ratipul Singh, medical doctor and writer is commemorated with a statue in the Amanzinyama Gardens located at . Cecil Pullan, cricketer Colin Munro, cricketer Hashim Amla, cricketer Katharine Saunders, botanical illustrator Kimeshan Naidoo, entrepreneur and engineer Prenelan Subrayen, cricketer Quarraisha Abdool Karim, scientist was born here in 1960¹. Thandeka Zulu, actress and musician Thomas Hassall, Australian politician Two-Boys Gumede, footballer ==Notes and references== ===Citations=== ===Sources=== ===Further reading=== ==External links== Vishwaroop Temple and Dharmashala Jugannath Puri Temple KZN: A Photographic and Historical Record Architectural Impact Assessment for properties affected by the proposed Tongaat Hulett uShukela Highway Project, Tongaat, eThekwini Metropolitan Council

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