Howick, KwaZulu-Natal

Province

Howick is a town in the district uMgungundlovu in the South African province of KwaZulu -Natal. It is the administrative center of the municipality uMngeni. 2011 Howick had 21.639 inhabitants.

Geography

Howick is located 1015 meters above sea level and about 88 kilometers from the port city of Durban. The Howick Falls is located near the city. The Umgeni River falls here 95 feet deep over dolerite cliffs and then continues to flow into the Indian Ocean. The Zulu called the waterfall kwaNogqaza ( German: , The place of the Great '). In the vicinity there are other waterfalls, all of which have already claimed lives. Nearby Howicks the Cascade Falls ( 25 meters ) and the Shelter Falls are located (37 meters). The Karkloof Falls are located 16 km to the east.

The average rainfall is 843 millimeters in Howick. Most precipitation falls in the summer (October to March). The lowest amount of rainfall are available with 5 mm in June. Most precipitation falls in January (141 mm). The average high temperature in Howick varies from 18.9 ° C in June to 25.8 ° C in January. The coldest month is June. Here are the minimum average night at 4.1 ° C. The city is located on the National Road N3, which connects it with other parts of South Africa.

History

In the 1840s, travelers from Pietermaritzburg in the north have the Umgeni River crossing just west of Howick on the Alleman 's Drift. 1849 has bought three farms on the north bank of the Umgeni of the Wesleyan missionary James Archbell. Deeds of the original area designated the area only The Village on the Umgeni Waterfall (English for, The Village at Umgeni Waterfall '). 1850 ford was moved in front of the waterfall. There, the crossing was indeed dangerous, but more practical. The ford was located where the river plunged down the cliff less than 200 meters from the site. The place was treacherous and many travelers and wagon was swept over the falls. As the traffic in the north rose, the government decided to build a village at the ford and bought part of Archbells farm. In November 1850 appeared a notice in the Natal Government Gazette, in the village of 36 plots at the Umgeni Waterfall drift were offered for sale. This was the beginning of the city.

When naming the government officials wanted their colonial secretary in London, Earl Grey, honor, who recently gained the title of Lord Howick. The name was derived from his father's house Howick Hall in Northumberland in England. Two other cities were called Howick At about the same time: Howick Howick in New Zealand and in Ontario in Canada.

During the Second Boer War in the years 1899 to 1902, the British built a concentration camp on the outskirts of the village. Today, a memorial commemorates the place where the women and children who died while in detention in this camp.

In December 1996, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Freedom of Howick (, peace of Howick '), where it had been in 1962, was arrested in the role as a driver of the car by Cecil Williams (aka David Motsamayi ).

Infrastructure

Howick has several schools, among others, the Howick High School.