Emnambithi Was Named by King Shaka Zulu After Tasting the Klip River
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Emnambithi - King Shaka gave this name to the Klip River after tasting the sweet water ‘mnambitheka’ -meaning ‘tasty’.
Ladysmith was named in honour of the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith.
Ladysmith was established on the crossroads for transport riders between Port Natal (Durban KwaZulu Natal) and the Transvaal. In 1849 the town was a ‘well-adapted village’ and on 20 June 1850 officially proclaimed a township. It was named after the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, Lady Juana Maria de los Doleres de Leon Smith.
The railway line reached the town in 1886, making Ladysmith an important halfway stopover. With the discovery of gold and diamonds on the Witwatersrand and at Kimberley the town prospered.
October 1899 marked the beginning of the South African War. Ladysmith became a key point in the struggle for Natal. For 118 days the town was under siege by Boer forces. This put the name Ladysmith into newspaper headlines worldwide. British forces defended the town but soon the water supply and all communication lines were cut off.
Food became scarce, and many of the 30 000 inhabitants died from enteric fever. In the final month of the siege, 28 British soldiers a day were being buried at the Intombi Hospital.
Many other victims of the siege are buried on Cemetery Hill. Of the garrison of 12 500 only 9 000 survived. The post-South African War period saw Ladysmith grow steadily. Msinga & natal Endumeni .
Farmers had to start all over again. The road to success was slow as the town and area were struck by floods and drought. By the late 1920s Ladysmith was providing mostly for the needs of its farming community. During the Great Depression of the 1930s people flocked here to make a living.
In the mid-1950s the railways were again instrumental in the town prospering as an important railway link. Learn about the late David Rattray
The Zulu land m unicipality and what does Zulu mean in english.
A thriving, friendly town on the banks of the Klip River, Ladysmith is the commercial centre for a large farming district and serves as a major shopping centre for towns such as Colenso, Glencoe, Bergville and Dundee.
Places of interest in Emnambithi
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Battle sites on the town’s outskirts and at Colenso, Vaalkrans, Tugela Heights, Spioenkop, Elandslaagte
Site of the Battle of Platrand/Wagon Hill
Walkabout tours introduce visitors to the town’s historic attractions
All Saints Church: built in 1902, this little architectural gem, built of cut flagstone from quarries on town land, is renowned for its beautiful tablets in the transept, bearing the names of more than 3 000 British soldiers who gave their lives in either the Siege or Relief of Ladysmith
Emnambithi/Ladysmith Cultural Centre: at 25 Keate Street, the centre houses the Ladysmith Black Mambazo Hall, with a stunning display on this world-renowned group. An entertaining exhibition on the famous Drakensberg Boys’Choir can also be viewed here
Dominating Ladysmith is the ‘small mountain’, Umbulwane, from whose summit Boer forces could see almost all that was happening in the town
There are self-guided trails to the mountain, which also has San historical significance, and to the township at its base, where traditional Zulu beer may be sampled
Spioenkop Dam and Nature Reserve
Ladysmith is also famous for the architecture of its electricity substations
Emnambithis museums and galleries
Town Hall and Town Hall Museum: the history of the town, since it was originally built in 1893, is depicted
Moth Museum: relics and memorabilia, uniforms, medals, flags and weaponry from various wars
Siege Museum (Murchison Street, next to Town Hall)
Kwazulu Natal's Places Of Interest
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Msinga Municipality in KwaZulu Natal Was Established in December 2000
Enquthu KwaZulu Natal Means Flat-Topped Vessel in IsiZulu
Umvoti KwaZulu Natal Umvoti is the Zulu Name For The Municipality & River
History of the eThukela Municipality in the KwazuluNatal Province
Emnambithi Was Named by King Shaka Zulu After Tasting the Klip River
‘Ulundi’ Means a High Place in The KwaZulu Natal Province