Royal residence for heritage park

THE environmental specialists, Brousse-James & Associates have been contracted by the Zulu Royal Family to conduct a Basic Assessment for the building of the KwaNobamba Royal Residence in the eMakhosini-Ophathe Heritage Park, about 27km from Ulundi and 85km from eShowe.

His Royal Highness, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBekuzulu, the reigning King of the Zulu Nation, wishes to re-establish a Royal Residence in the eMakhosini Valley, where the founder of the Zulu Nation, King Shaka kaSenzangakhona, was born.

This residence will be built along the lines of a traditional homestead (umuzi/Isigodlo), with the same circular layout.

The significance of the name, kwaNobamba, is that it was the name of the ancestral home of King Jama kaNdaba, who was King Shaka kaSenzangakhona’s grandfather and it was King Shaka’s birthplace.

When King Dingane ascended to the throne, he moved back to the eMakhosini Valley, from kwaDukuza near Stanger and temporarily located his capital at kwaNobamba, while building Mgungundlovu.

In 1840, after his defeat at the hands of the Boers, who were assisted by his brother, Prince Mpande, Mgungundlovu was razed to the ground.

King Mpande then moved the Royal Residence to kwaNodwengu, which is near the present-day Garden Court in Ulundi.

King Dingane was, therefore, the last Zulu king to have a homestead within the eMakhosini Valley.

The building of a Royal Residence within the eMakhosini Valley, with the same layout as a traditional umuzi/Isigodlo will have tremendous cultural and spiritual significance to the Zulu Royal Family which, in a sense, will be ‘coming home’.

The Royal Residence will cover an area of 20ha and will consist of nine traditional thatched ‘beehive huts’ arranged in a circle, with a central cattle enclosure (isibaya).

These will be constructed with a steel framework, as opposed to the traditional wooden latticework structure, as they will be much bigger than the traditional huts.

A fenced area of natural veld, covering an area of 8.6ha, will act as a grazing site for Royal cattle.

The total overall site size, including the residence, guest facility and grazing area, will cover an area of 20ha.

Initially, the system will be designed to work entirely on solar power, with generator back-up, but an Eskom connection may be considered later, but at this stage, the existing Eskom network does not allow for a cost-effective connection to the proposed residence.

Water will be obtained from a borehole and, for this purpose, a Water Use License will need to be applied for.

Rainwater harvesting measures will be implemented, wherever possible.

Sewerage will be processed by means of a package plant.

The construction of the Royal Residence will be funded out of private Zulu Royal Family funds and the proposed development has the support of Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali, as it has significance in terms of living heritage and has potential tourism significance.