King's bid to rename KwaZulu-Natal as 'KwaZulu' gains official traction

Debate ignites over cultural implications and historical significance of the proposed name change

- THAMI MAGUBANE AND WILLEM PHUNGULA

THE proposal by His Majesty King Misuzulu to rename the province KwaZulu is gaining traction, with the provincial government stating that it will begin the process of "exploring" this directive.

However, the pronouncement by the king is being challenged by cultural experts who have warned that it will not stand up to history. They argue that the province is culturally diverse and that this should be respected.

While addressing the commemoration of the Battle of Isandlwana, King Misuzulu said the province should be renamed as KwaZulu, with Natal being dropped from the name. Before the 1994 elections and the advent of the new democratic dispensation, the province was officially known as Natal, although the areas across the uThukela River (Tugela) in the northeast of the province were referred to as KwaZulu.

Speaking during the 147th edition of the Battle of Isandlwana in Nquthu in the north of the province on Thursday, the king announced that he would start a campaign to drop the name Natal from the province's name and insisted that it must be known as KwaZulu.

"We need to remove this Natal. This is KwaZulu, so I don't understand why we have this Natal," said the king.

The king's argument is that prior to the colonisation of the province, the area was known as KwaZulu and fell under the Zulu kingdom. He said the colonisers renamed it Natal.