Amantimtoti History (1928-1990)

This does not purport to be a history of Amanzimtoti but rather a story of the establishment of local government: in the area; and of the events that took place in its first twenty five years. I would probably describe it as the birth of a town.In the following paragraphs, after a brief introductory outline of the state of I affairs which existed some 50 to 60 years ago, it is proposed to extract and refer to some of the highlights recorded in the minutes of the Council’s meetings and those of its predecessors, and to set them down in this narrative in the chronological order of the years during which they occurred. Amanzimtoti, as far as I can gather, was well known as a week-end seaside place as far back as the latter part of the last century, and although it was part of a Bantu Reserve at that time, there were a number of Europeans who resided here permanently. The area which now comprises Ross and Turner streets had several houses, mainly of the wattle- and-daub type; there were one or two substantial houses built by the Department of Native Affairs for resident officers. On the seaside of the Railway Station there was, of course, the Amanzimtoti Hotel and one or two wood and iron cottages, while at Chain Rocks, and right on the beach, there was a number of frame bungalows, constructed of motor car cases and malthoid covering, which were very popular materials in use at that time. The concrete foundations of some of these original bungalows can still be seen on the rocks. All of these buildings were on ground leased from either the Native Affairs. Department or the Department of Lands, and it was not until 1928 that some 3 000 acres of the Native Reserve’were acquired by the Government and established as a township in freehold for European settlement only.The existing leaseholders were given the opportunity of acquiring in freehold, the ground they occupied. An exception was, fortunately, made at Chain Rocks where the inhabitants had to remove their buildings entirely. Many of them acquired freehold ground and removed their habitations physically to the new sites.

Amanzimtoti was fortunate in having from its very beginnings public-spirited people within. its borders who soon organised and established a District Association which played an important part in the immediate pre-local government era, and did sterling work as a voluntary body. In fact, the building at present used as a town hall still stands as evidence of some of their- efforts. many of the old stalwarts, whose, names are still with us, were later to take important parts in local government and development.

The first form of local government that was established was a Health Board. This occurred in 1930 and it was known as the Southern Umlazi Health Board, whose jurisdiction covered the area from Karridene to Athlone Park. This area now represents the entire Boroughs of Amanzimtoti and Kingsburgh plus the Illovo Sugar Estates Health Committee area, in all about 10 000 acres. Unfortunately there were ward divisions whith coincided with the existing villages which were separate one from the other. The villages were not as closely knit by roads and bridges, as they are now, and the evil genii of parochialism reared its ugly head and caused many divisions. In any case local government in Amanzimtoti had a running start through its District Association and consequently the representatives of Amanzimtoti were impatient to get on and were not prepared to curb Amanzimtoti’s ambition for development. Consequently after a few uneasy years, Amanzimtoti, with the acquiescence of the Provincial Administration broke away from the Southern Umlazi Health Board, and on the 1st September 1934, the Amanzimtoti Local Administration and Health Board was proclaimed.