The Battlefields of KwaZulu Natal

Vasco de Gama was the first European settler to reach the port of Durban on Christmas Day of 1497.  He named it “Rio de Natal “and although it became a busy port it was only from 1823 that real settlement began to develop. In 1835 the port was renamed Durban, after the governor of the Cape colony.

When the Boers arrived in 1836 fierce battles with the Zulus were common place. The Zulus were defeated at the Battle of Blood River and peace remained until the British and the Boers began fighting for control.  In 1844 it was declared a British colony resulting in an exodus by the Boers who were not prepared to live under British rule.  The area became a busy sugar producer with many Indians arriving to work on the plantations in the 1860’s.  

In 1879 the British laid claim to the whole of Zululand, a move that resulted in the Anglo Zulu war. The Battle of Isandlwana was the most disastrous for the British who had under estimated the strength of the Zulu nation. Britain retaliated by sending more troops and the war continued until British victory was declared in 1887.  

In 1899 the Boers invaded the colony but were driven out again in 1900. Ten years later it became a province of the Union of South Africa and in 1961 was incorporated into the Republic of South Africa.

During the apartheid era the Bantustan was declared a designated homeland for the Zulu people and during the 1980’s and 1990’s was the centre of much conflict between the African National Congress and the Inkhata Freedom Party. In 1994, following the release of Nelson Mandela and the subsequent democratic elections, the province was combined to form KwaZulu Natal.

Today the province is an eclectic and vibrant mix of cultures, a reflection of the people who have made this beautiful part of Southern Africa their home.  The landscapes are some of the most spectacular in Southern Africa, with knotty rock formations, sweeping hills and the far reaching majestic Drakensberg Mountain range.

The unspoilt and undeveloped landscapes have remained as they were almost two hundred years ago, alive with the echoes of the historical battles. The battlefields are best appreciated with a knowledgeable guide who will accompany you on your journey of discovery through the most prolific concentration of battlefields in Southern Africa.

Listen as your professional guide recounts poignant stories of the bloody and fierce Anglo Zulu wars.   The first, being the battle of Isandlwana where the British forces were ruthlessly crushed by the ferocious strength of the Zulu Impi warriors.  

On the same day the Zulus attacked Rorkes Drift, a Swedish missionary settlement.  It was here that for twelve long hours a handful of British soldiers repelled a force of 4000 Zulus, losing 17 men and winning 11 Victoria Crosses - the most ever awarded for a single military engagement. It was here where the great nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince Louis Napoleon, was killed on patrol whilst accompanying the British as an observer.

Moving 20 years on, to the Anglo-Boer battles between 1899 to 1902, the  futility of the war will be movingly illustrated at Spionkop where 1700 British troops, who were part of a British force of 24000 heading for Ladysmith, occupied this prominent hill and entrenched themsleves on the summit during the night. The Boers counter attacked in the morning and fierce fighting ensued all day. The superiority of the Boer artillery and a series of poor decisions on the part of the British commanders resulted in the Boers eventually taking the Kop.

It is fascinating to think of the global significance of this battle. Winston Churchill, Mahatma Ghandi, and Louis Botha - first President of the independent South Africa, were all present at Spionkop on that day and had any one of them been killed, the world we live in today would be very different place.

At Colenso you can imagine the British soldiers struggling to cross the Tugela River, surrounded by relentless fire from the Boers. North of Dundee you can relive the Battle of Blood River where, long before, the Boers had managed to defeat the Zulus, forcing King Dingane to flee.

You will visit the town of Ladysmith, famous for its 118 day siege. There are good museums and great view sites as the battlefields have remained virtually unchanged from the time they were soaked in blood. Your specialist guide will bring all the action to life and keep even those not into military history, enthralled.