HISTORICAL records indicate that the first settlers on The Bluff were the Luthuli people, led by their chief, Mnini. By the time white traders established themselves at Port Natal in 1824, the Luthuli had already known the area as Isibubulungu.

The Luthuli and their chief, Mnini, became closely associated with Henry Ogle in his early trading ventures.

According to local historian Duncan Du Bois the Luthuli people claimed to have lived on The Bluff for almost four generations, since around 1770.

Also read: Become a volunteer at The Bluff CPF

According to a case study of African and settler relations, published by Du Bois titled Stability within Duality members of Mnini’s Thuli chiefdom in the Umgababa region engaged in sugar and coffee production between 1876 and 1880.

In the 1870s and 1880s the food economy of Alexandra and Alfred counties was dominated by Africans. This was particularly apparent as regards the cultivation and production of maize.

To read previous articles on Luthuli people, click here.  

The ready market for their produce meant that few Africans were dependent on cash wages on settler farms. Until the late 1880s, Natal’s towns and villages ‘were to a large extent dependent on produce grown by African cultivators’.

Commission appointed to establish boundaries

In 1846, the first lieutenant-governor of the district of Natal, Martin West, appointed a commission to investigate the issue of land tenure. At that time the bulk of the estimated 100 000 Africans living within the newly annexed territory of Natal were not refugees from Zululand as Jeff Guy has asserted.

Also read: Behind the wards: Exploring the history of Wentworth Hospital

Since the fledgling British administration desired to make the Colony more attractive for European settlers, it sought measures to manage the African population.

In March 1847, the commission recommended the establishment of a series of locations or reserves for the exclusive residence of the indigenous population.

Life after South Africa’s first democratic elections

Today, The Bluff has flourished into one of Durban’s key tourist destinations, known for its beachfront hotels and guesthouses. Its scenic coastline continues to impress visitors while its annual Whale Festival celebrates the area’s marine and cultural heritage.

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