Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
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Ladysmith (2001: pop. 225,452) is a town on the banks of the Klip River, (stone river), in the uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is 230 kilometres (140 mi) north-west of Durban and 365 kilometres (227 mi) south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production. Tyres are produced by Dunlop near to Steadville. Dunlop employs many skilled and unskilled labourers, contributing to Ladysmith's economy.
Many people in Ladysmith use their hands to make a living: they are involved in crafts, hunting animals, fishing in rivers and so on.
Eskom is present in Ladysmith and provides poor people with electricity in areas such as Driefontein, Gudlintaba, Tatane, Nkuthu and many more. Iskor has a plant in the neighbouring town of Newcastle, and they also employ many people from the area.
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[edit] History
In 1847 a number of Voortrekkers settled in the area and the town was founded in 1850 by Boers as the capital of the Republic of Klip River with Andries Spies as their commandant. The republic was annexed by the British in the same year. It was named after Juana Maria de los Delores de Leon Smith also known as "Lady Smith", the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, the Governor of the Cape Colony. Sir Harry Smith was the British general governor of Cape Colony and high commissioner in South Africa from 1847 to 1852. A fort was built in 1879 to protect the villagers from the Zulus.
Ladysmith made world headlines at the turn of the 20th century when it was besieged in what became known as the Siege of Ladysmith, for 118 days, from 2 November 1899 to 28 February 1900, during the most crucial stage of the Anglo-Boer War. 3,000 British soldiers died during the siege. Many famous battles were fought around Ladysmith, namely the Battle of Spion Kop and Wagon Hill.
During the Anglo-Boer War, Sir Winston Churchill was taken prisoner in Natal (between Ladysmith and Colenso) when the train that he was travelling in was ambushed by Boer forces. He escaped and rejoined the British forces as an honorary member of the Imperial Light Horse. He was a reporter for The Morning Post (London).[1] [2]
[edit] Natural or wildlife attractions
Ladysmith is not only ideally situated between two major cities (Johannesburg and Durban), it is also ideally set at the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains.
[edit] Qedusizi Dam
For many years Ladysmith suffered from perennial flooding. It is only after the construction of the Qedusizi Dam that Ladysmith was safe from one of the violent effects of nature. The Qedusizi Dam brought an end to suffering in Ladysmith thus living up to its Zulu name which means “end of suffering”. There is another dam which is being built in Driefontein. It is believed that it will also bring changes because floods are not yet over in some parts of Ladysmith.[citation needed]
[edit] Spioenkop Nature Reserve
25 kilometres (16 mi) from Ladysmith is one of South Africa’s popular wildlife sanctuaries, Spioenkop Nature Reserve. This 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) reserve is home to animals such as the rhino, giraffe and zebra. The sporting activities that Spioenkop offers include hiking, horse riding, angling, yachting, water-skiing and power boating. Spioenkop is also supplies other parts of Gauteng with water because in Gauteng there is a shortage of water.
[edit] Trivia
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- During the Boer War Mohandas Gandhi established a stretcher-bearing corps. His statue can be seen at the Lord Vishnu Temple in Ladysmith.
- It is the hometown of Joseph Shabalala, founder of the singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
- It is the birthplace of Thulane "Sugar Boy" Malinga, champion boxer.
[edit] References
- ^ Winston Churchill. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved on 3 February 2008.
- ^ Churchill, Sir Winston. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved on 3 February 2008.
[edit] External links
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Province of KwaZulu-Natal |
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| Provincial Capital: | ||
| Major Metros: | ||
| District Municipalities: |
Ugu | Umgungundlovu | Uthukela | Umzinyathi | Amajuba | Zululand | Umkhanyakude | uThungulu | iLembe | Sisonke |
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| Local Municipalities: |
Amajuba | Zululand | Umkhanyakude | uThungulu | Umzinyathi | Uthukela | Umgungundlovu | iLembe | eThekwini | Ugu | Sisonke | |
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| Smaller Cities: |
Empangeni | Kokstad | Ladysmith | Newcastle | Port Shepstone | Richards Bay | KwaDukuza | Tongaat | Vryheid |
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