EXCITEMENT was mounting as a few South Coast SUN staff members visited the Bessie Head Library in Pietermaritzburg, with one goal in mind: to retrieve as much archived news as possible in just a few hours.

The South Coast SUN celebrated its 55th birthday in October, and paging through the archived editions was a fascinating reminder of just how much the area has changed over the decades.

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Several stories stood out, with much of the coverage focusing on the development and changing face of Amanzimtoti. In the February 5, 1971, edition, a front-page headline announced that a new shopping centre would change the face of Toti’s business area. The ambitious project was envisaged as a double-level shopping centre, linked by escalators, with about 10 floors of flats above it and parking for about 650 cars. Although the development did not materialise as originally planned, the residential flats, known as Sweetwaters, were eventually built next to the shopping centre.

Residents were not always enthusiastic about new developments, however. On March 5, 1976, about 101 Belfry Tower residents were reportedly “hopping mad” after investor Ryk Tulbach’s R14m development threatened their sea views. Their concern was that all they would see would be “the back side of Shangri-La holiday block”.

The building was erected for R4m, with flats selling for between R29 000 and R36 000. Despite the controversy, Ron Turnell, who handled the sale of St Anton flats, said he had informed prospective buyers about the proposed development, adding, “This hasn’t slowed the sale of St Anton flats.”

History was also being made in local law enforcement. Amon Sibiya and Monde Boya were appointed as Toti’s first two black traffic officers. The then Toti traffic chief, Alan Dorning, said, “Now that they are fully qualified, we will also be using them on general law enforcement to non-white traffic operating through the borough.”

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Did you know there was once a R200 000 incinerator at Hutchison Park, long before it became the sports complex residents enjoy today?

An article published on March 19, 1976, reported that the sports complex had finally received the green light following a lengthy legal wrangle surrounding the proposed incinerator.

According to the report, the link between the now-functioning incinerator and the sports development was that Toti needed somewhere to dispose of its rubbish, with the riverside section of Hutchison Park considered an ideal location.

One thing that has seemingly changed very little over the years is the South Coast’s relationship with floods. On March 26, 1976, the SUN reported that, for the third time in six years, the area had experienced devastating flooding.
“No flood has hit the upper South Coast as hard as the one that peaked in the early hours that Sunday,” the report stated.
A staggering 240mm of rain had fallen in Toti and Kingsburgh over a few days, while Louis Botha Airport recorded 311mm.

Despite the devastation, the band at the River Garden Hotel continued playing, much like the musicians aboard the Titanic as it sank. And, of course, no trip down memory lane would be complete without noticing the changing newspaper trends.

The archives also revealed just how frequently bikini-clad young women featured in the SUN, particularly during the holiday season!

Fifty-five years of headlines, controversies, development, floods and unforgettable community moments – and the South Coast SUN was there to record it all.

Did you know? July 1976 floods cost Motor Assemblies, now Toyota Prospecton, 1000 vehicles in lost production and R3m – equivalent to approximately R162m today.

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