Brief History (all original links to source-information left active herein) About Howick Howick is a town located in the uMgungundlovu District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The town is 1050 m above sea level, and about 88 kilometres from the port city of Durban. It enjoys warm summers and cool dry winters. A snappy chill descends upon Howick when snow falls on the nearby Drakensberg. The town is located on the N3 freeway, connecting it with the rest of South Africa. The town is the location of Howick Falls, which is a large waterfall that occurs when the Umgeni River falls 95 metres (311 feet) over dolerite cliffs on its way to the Indian Ocean. The waterfall was known as kwaNogqaza or "The Place of the Tall One" by the original Zulu inhabitants. There are several other waterfalls in the vicinity and all of them have claimed human lives. Near Howick are Cascade Falls (25 m) and Shelter Falls (37 m), while Karkloof Falls (105 m) is 16 km to the east. There are also a number of schools in Howick, including Howick High School. About Mpophomeni Mpophomeni (literally translated:- "falling water") Town was originally established in 1964 as a dormitory suburb for black laborers who came from rural areas to Howick town to work at SARMCOL (south African Rubber Manufacturing Company Limited) and also to work in the construction of the Midmar Dam. Most of the Mpophomeni dwellers were forcibly removed from where the Midmar Dam is today and Howick West - known then as "George Ross Farm". Mpophomeni derives its name from the world renowned Howick waterfalls.About Karkloof Forest The Karkloof Forest is situated in the Karkloof Nature Reserve, 22 km north of Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This is a large (936ha) mistbelt forest containing yellowwoods (Afrocarpus falcatus, Podocarpus latifolius and Podocarpus henkelii) and stinkwood (Ocotea bullata). Wildlife includes Samango monkey, blue duiker and bushbuck. Crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) breed here, and the endangered Cape parrot (Poicephalus robustus robustus) occurs here. Endemics to the area include a subspecies of crested guineafowl (Guttera edouardi symonsi), and a dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion sp.) which is related to the Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon and the black-headed dwarf chameleon. Other birds found here include Knysna turaco (Tauraco corythaix), forest canary (Crithagra scotops), white-starred robin (Pogonocichla stellata), orange ground-thrush (Zoothera gurneyi), red-throated wryneck (Jynx ruficollis), golden-tailed woodpecker (Campethera abingoni) and martial eagles (Polemaetus bellicosus). About Pietermaritzburg Pietermaritzburg (Zulu: umGungundlovu (Place Of The Elephant)) 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 Zulu name umGungundlovu is the name used for the district municipality. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products. It is home to many schools and tertiary education institutions, including a campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It had a population of 228,549 in 1991; the estimated current population is around 500,000 (including neighbouring townships) and has one of the largest populations of Indian South Africans in South Africa. The city was originally founded by the Voortrekkers (Pioneers), following the defeat of Dingane at the Battle of Blood River, and was the capital of the short-lived Boer republic, Natalia. Britain took over Pietermaritzburg in 1843 and it became the seat of the Natal Colony's administration with the first lieutenant-governor, Martin West, making it his home. Fort Napier, named after the governor of the Cape Colony, Sir George Thomas Napier, was built to house a garrison. In 1893, Natal received responsibility for their own government and an assembly building was built along with the city hall. In 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed, Natal became a province of the Union, and Pietermaritzburg remained the capital. About Durban Durban (Zulu: eThekwini, from itheku meaning "bay/lagoon") is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. After Johannesburg, the Durban Metropolitan Area ranks second among the most populous urban areas in South Africa, virtually ex-aequo with Cape Town. It is also the second most important manufacturing hub in South Africa after Johannesburg. 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 because of the city's warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches. The municipality, which includes neighbouring towns, has a population of almost 3.5 million, making the combined municipality one of the biggest cities on the Indian Ocean coast of the African continent. The metropolitan land area of 2,292 square kilometres (885 sq mi) is comparatively larger than other South African cities, resulting in a somewhat lower population density of 1,513/km2 (3,920/sq mi). It has the highest number of dollar millionaires added per year of any South African city with the number rising 200% between 2000 and 2014. In May 2015, Durban was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Vigan, Doha, La Paz, Havana, Beirut, and Kuala Lumpur. KZN Maps  | Geography At around 92,100 km2 in area, KwaZulu-Natal is roughly the size of Portugal. It has three different geographic areas. The lowland region along the Indian Ocean coast is extremely narrow in the south, widening in the northern part of the province, while the central Natal Midlands consists of an undulating hilly plateau rising toward the west. Two mountainous areas, the western Drakensberg Mountains and northern Lebombo Mountains form, respectively, a solid basalt wall rising over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) beside Lesotho border and low parallel ranges of ancient granite running southward from Swaziland. The area's largest river, the Tugela, flows west to east across the center of the province. The coastal regions typically have subtropical thickets and deeper ravines; steep slopes host some Afromontane Forest. The midlands have moist grasslands and isolated pockets of Afromontane Forest. The north has a primarily moist savanna habitat, whilst the Drakensberg region hosts mostly alpinegrassland. The province contains rich areas of biodiversity of a range of flora and fauna. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, along with uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and Ndumo, are wetlands of international importance for migratory species, and are designated as Ramsar sites. South Africa signed the 1971 Ramsar Convention to try to conserve and protect important wetlands because of their importance to habitats and numerous species. The former Eastern Cape enclave of the town of Umzimkulu and its hinterland have been incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal following the 12th amendment of the Constitution of South Africa. The amendment also made other changes to the southern border of the province. The northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude traverses the province from the coast at Hibberdene (30°34′35″S 30°34′35″E) to northeast Lesotho. South African Demographics South Africa is a nation of about 55 million (2016) people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. The last census was held in 2011. South Africa is home to an estimated 5 million illegal immigrants, including some 3 million Zimbabweans. A series of anti-immigrant riots occurred in South Africa beginning on 11 May 2008. Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups. The 2011 census figures for these groups were Black African at 79.2%, White at 8.9%, Coloured at 8.9%, Asian at 2.5%, and Other/Unspecified at 0.5%. The first census in South Africa in 1911 showed that whites made up 22% of the population; it declined to 16% in 1980. South Africa hosts a sizeable refugee and asylum seeker population. According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this population numbered approximately 144,700 in 2007. Groups of refugees and asylum seekers numbering over 10,000 included people from Zimbabwe (48,400), The Democratic Republic of the Congo (24,800), and Somalia (12,900). These populations mainly lived in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth. Many refugees have now also started to work and live in rural areas in provinces such as Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. South African Languages South Africa has eleven official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu. In this regard it is third only to Bolivia and India in number. While all the languages are formally equal, some languages are spoken more than others. According to the 2011 census, the three most spoken first languages are Zulu (22.7%), Xhosa (16.0%), and Afrikaans (13.5%). Despite the fact that English is recognised as the language of commerce and science, it ranked fourth, and was listed as the first language of only 9.6% of South Africans in 2011. The country also recognises several unofficial languages, including Fanagalo, Khoe, Lobedu, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, and South African Sign Language. These unofficial languages may be used in certain official uses in limited areas where it has been determined that these languages are prevalent. Nevertheless, their populations are not such that they require nationwide recognition. Many white South Africans also speak European languages, including Portuguese (also spoken by black Angolans and Mozambicans), German, and Greek, while some Asians in South Africa speak Asian languages, such as Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, and Telugu. French is spoken in South Africa by migrants from Francophone Africa. Provincial Government KwaZulu-Natal's provincial government sits in Pietermaritzburg. The foundation stone of the new legislative building was laid on 21 June 1887, to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The building was completed two years later. On 25 April 1889, the Governor of Natal, Sir Arthur Havelock, opened the first Legislative Council session in the new building. This was the former site of St Mary's Church, built in the 1860s. The congregation built a new church in 1884 at the corner of Burger Street and Commercial Road. The old building was demolished in 1887 to provide space for the legislative complex. When governance was granted to Natal in 1893, the new Legislative Assembly took over the chamber used by the Legislative Council since 1889. Further extensions to the parliamentary building were made. The building was unoccupied until 1902, when it was used without being officially opened, due to the country's being engulfed in the Anglo-Boer war. The war forced the Legislative Assembly to move the venue of its sittings, as its chamber was used as a military hospital. The Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council buildings have both been protected as provincial landmarks. They formed a colonial Parliament of two houses: a Council of 11 nominated members and an Assembly of 37 elected members. The Natal Parliament was disbanded in 1910 when the Union of South Africa was formed, and the Assembly became the meeting place of the Natal Provincial Council. The Council was disbanded in 1986. The Provincial Legislature consists of 80 members. Climate KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with a minimum of 21 °C (70 °F), dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23 °C (73 °F) with a minimum of 11 °C (52 °F). Temperature drops towards the hinterland, with Pietermaritzburg being similar in the summer, but much cooler in the winter. Ladysmith in the Tugela River Valley reaches 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer, but may drop below freezing point on winter evenings. The Drakensberg can experience heavy winter snow, with light snow occasionally experienced on the highest peaks in summer. The Zululand north coast has the warmest climate and highest humidity, supporting many sugar cane farms around Mongolia. |
Some Of The Places We Will Visit
The town is the location of Howick Falls, which is a large waterfall that occurs when the Umgeni River falls 95 metres (311 feet) over dolerite cliffs on its way to the Indian Ocean. The waterfall was known as kwaNogqaza or "The Place of the Tall One" by the original Zulu inhabitants. There are several other waterfalls in the vicinity and all of them have claimed human lives. Near Howick are Cascade Falls (25 m) and Shelter Falls (37 m), while Karkloof Falls (105 m) is 16 km to the east.
Howick Falls
Many people have been swept over the falls, especially in the pioneer days of the province, as some settlers thought the easiest place to cross the river was just above the falls. There have been a recorded 40 deaths surrounding Howick falls with the first recorded death occurring in 1851. Most of these have been recorded as suicides but accidents and murder have also been known to happen, contributing to if not maintaining the local legendary status of the falls. In 1999, Jeb Corliss had a near-fatal BASE jump into the waterfalls where his chute opening went asymmetric and he could not avoid flying into the downpouring water.
Mandela Historical Tour - The Mandela Monument
On 5 August 1962, an otherwise ordinary piece of road along the R103, roughly three kilometres outside Howick in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, suddenly took on profound consequence. Armed apartheid police flagged down a car in which Nelson Mandela was pretending to be the chauffeur. Having succeeded in evading capture by apartheid operatives for 17 months, Mandela had just paid a clandestine visit to African National Congress (ANC) president Chief Albert Luthuli's Groutville home to report back on his African odyssey, and to request support in calling for an armed struggle. It was in this dramatic way, at this unassuming spot, that Nelson Mandela was finally captured, and proceeded to disappear from public view for the next 27 years.
Marking the 50-year anniversary of what began Nelson Mandela's "long walk to freedom" - and the piece of land that, quite randomly,
irrevocably altered the history of South Africa - is a quietly powerful new sculpture, set into the environment of this silently potent space. The 
Nelson Mandela was jointly awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with FW de Klerk.
- The Mandela Capture Site Museum
With the purchase of the farm opposite the monument site, it became possible to put in place the process to mark the Nelson Mandela Capture Site as a major destination in South Africa for our citizens and international visitors to engage with Nelson Mandela’s legacy. His disappearance from public view at this site into incarceration for 27 years along his long walk to freedom symbolically culminated in his reappearance here on the 50th anniversary of that fateful day.
The uMngeni municipality, with the assistance of COGTA, has commissioned a plan for the establishment of a museum, multipurpose theatre and amphitheatre, and supporting tourism educational and cultural facilities including an arts and craft node to be situated on this site. This will create job opportunities for the local community and will no doubt become a major tourist attraction at this significant heritage site on the Midlands Meander.
In 1985 the management of SARMCOL (South African Rubber Manufacturing Company Limited) summarily dismissed a thousand workers, many of them Mpophomeni residents, after a strike. This plunged hundreds of families into poverty.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a fight between the people of Mpophomeni and the people living in the rural areas of Kwa Shifu, Haza and Mahlangeni. The community of Mpophomeni were ANC (African National Congress)supporters and the rural areas were strongly behind the opposing IFP (Inkatha Freedom Party). The death of Nokulunga Gumede, a five-year-old girl who was run down by a military vehicle (Casper) during the violence taking place in the township at the time was a catalyst for change – no-one stopped the violence when they had the chance.
Reconciliation only truly started between the township and the rural occupants in 1993 and 1994. A memorial was built in remembrance of this and named after Nokulunga Gumede - the youngest victim of the violence as well as commemorating the 120 people that died.
Pietermaritzburg Museum
For South African heritage, this museum is a must-see as it hosts several of South Africa's most important heritage collections. The internationally renowned collections feature regional archaeology, African cultural products, European settler history, seashells, insects and other fauna.
In addition, the Natal Museum is a proud custodian of one of the most important collections of Zulu objets d'art in the world.
There's a room dedicated to KwaZulu-Natal history, geological and paleontological material, and a recreation of a late 1800s Victorian street featuring shops, a stable and period houses.
There's also a full-sized replica of a Drakensberg cave, complete with rock art, and a wrecked olden-day trading vessel. What makes the KwaZulu-Natal Museum particularly interesting is the array of interesting temporary exhibitions that give the museum a definite dynamic advantage. Temporary exhibitions and happenings have included an exploration of the history of segregation in the US, xenophobic violence, children’s art exhibition.
The museum's in-house Department of Human Sciences includes a team of archaeologists and cultural heritage technicians who specialise in multiple disciplines covering both South Africa's past and its material culture.
Discover the fascinating research being carried out on human cognition and modern behaviour, the history of hunter-gatherers and farming communities, as well as rock art and Nguni history.
In addition to the dolphin and seal shows, there is penguin, shark and ray feeding at various times during the day, the exact times are published by the park and are readily available to visitors.
Visitors can take part in an animal encounter. It is possible to snorkel in the lagoon with approximately 1500 fish. Underwater adventures including shark cage diving and walking on the floor of the aquarium with an ocean diver are also available.
Calypso, the local dive centre at Ushaka, also runs discover scuba and bubble maker experiences in the snorkel lagoon. 'Bubble maker' is for children aged 8-under 10. A scuba diving course is available to people over 10 years old. Certified divers can also dive in the open ocean lagoon with pelagic fish and rays.
The Dangerous Creatures exhibit includes various reptiles, amphibians and arachnids, some of which are venomous in their newly set-up Dangerous Creatures section, which is apart from the main aquarium. This sub-section contains both local and exotic animals, from rock pythons to Burmese pythons, Nile crocodiles, black mambas, tarantulas, scorpions, and gila monsters.
We are first and foremost a place of remembrance for the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust and all other victims of Nazism, but we also engage in public outreach programmes about the Holocaust, human rights abuses and contemporary genocides.
Opened in March 2009, the DHC recently relocated to much larger and more sophisticated premises in 2011, and the more expansive exhibition, media and seminar spaces facilitated our ever-growing educational program.
Last year alone, the DHC saw over 4 000 learners participate in our three and a half hour workshops and we are continuously running educator seminars where teachers form across the province are trained in how to teach the subject of the Holocaust, a key part of the National Curriculum, to various grades.
This is a large (936ha) mistbelt forest containing yellowwoods (Afrocarpus falcatus, Podocarpus latifolius and Podocarpus henkelii) and stinkwood (Ocotea bullata).
Wildlife includes Samango monkey, blue duiker and bushbuck. Crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) breed here, and the endangered Cape parrot (Poicephalus robustus robustus) occurs here.
Endemics to the area include a subspecies of crested guineafowl (Guttera edouardi symonsi), and a dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion sp.) which is related to the Natal Midlands dwarf chameleon and the black-headed dwarf chameleon.
Other birds found here include Knysna turaco (Tauraco corythaix), forest canary (Crithagra scotops), white-starred robin (Pogonocichla stellata), orange ground-thrush (Zoothera gurneyi), red-throated wryneck (Jynx ruficollis), golden-tailed woodpecker (Campethera abingoni) and martial eagles (Polemaetus bellicosus).