South Africa’s Political History on Inanda’s HeritageTrail

A cultural and historic trip into South Africa’s Political past: Inanda’s Heritage Trail.

Visitors to South Africa want to experience two main things, Firstly, the diverse wildlife and especially the Big Five seen in our major game parks and reserves and secondly, they want to truly understand our extraordinary political history sparked by Nelson Mandela.

The Inanda Heritage Route aims to do just this, taking in some of the most critical historical and political sites in South Africa.

Inanda’s recent history dates back to the early 1800s, when KwaZulu Natal was a Boer Republic. It was a farm then and passed hands several times as the Boer settlers were usurped by the arrival of the British settlers to Port Natal and eventually African and Indian farmers were brought here to farm sugar cane.

But it was the events unfolding at the turn of the century that earmarked this area in history. Mahatma Ghandi, a practicing lawyer, arrived to the region to represent an Indian client. After being thrown off a train for sitting in a “whites only” section, Gandhi stayed on and began his passive resistance movement known as ‘Satyagraha’ which has had a global impact.

In the 1960s, Inanda became home to the thousands of people displaced from urban areas under apartheid laws. It quickly grew into a shanty town and then, as segregation laws took further hold, a dense informal settlement that was later the site of intense political violence.

The Temple of Understanding on the Inanda Heritage Trail

The Inanda Heritage trail starts at the Inanda township, and takes visitors into the Ohlange Institute, which was established by Rev. John Dube, who was also the first president of the African National Congress in 1901. The Ohlange Institute is the historical site where ex president Nelson Mandela cast his vote in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. After casting his vote, Mandela went on to pay his respects at John Dube’s grave and said,  ‘Mr. President, South Africa is now free’.

The trail includes a visit to the Phoenix Settlement, established in 1904 by Gandhi. Ghandi’s home stands in the settlement, fully restored, and has been named as a monument.

The Inanda Seminary, established in 1869 by the missionary Mary Edwards, is one of the oldest African private schools for girls, and has recently undergone a complete restoration. The next destination along the route is Ebuhleni village, the origin of the Shembe religion. The Shembe church was founded in the village about one hundred years ago, and today has over two million followers.

The tour finally draws to an end at the township of Cato Manor. This sprawling township is located close to Durban’s city centre. Here visitors can see the shacks and the new housing development and gain some knowledge about the issues of urban settlement and the Government housing policies.

Combined with a visit to the picturesque Inanda Dam nearby, this makes for a fascinating day outing.

Address: Inanda Heritage Trail, KwaZulu Natal
Telephone: +27 (0)31 561-4257
Opening hours: By arrangement.