Manzini
Encyclopedia
Manzini is Swaziland
's largest urban centre, known as "The Hub" of Swaziland. Swaziland's primary industrial site at Matsapha lies near the town's western border. Population is 73,000 (2004). Known as Bremersdorp until 1960, tt is the capital of the Manzini District
.
A commercial centre from the time a trading post was opened in 1885, Bremersdrop was designated a township in 1898. Arthur Bremer sold his hotel for use as British Colonial authorities who had administered Swaziland since 1894 as their national administrative headquarters, and stipulated that the settlement would bear his name. "Dorp" is the Afrikaans
word for "small town." The name reverted to its original Swazi name, Manzini, in 1960.
The town was a British
/Boer
colonial headquarters from 1890 but was destroyed in 1902 amid the Anglo-Boer War
, when the administrative centre
was transferred to Mbabane
. However, Bremersdorp (later Manzini) subsequently remained the commercial, agricultural and transportation heart of Swaziland, earning the town the nickname "The Hub." Since its inception in the 1920s, the Agricultural Show (name later changed to the Swaziland International Trade Fair) has been the country's largest and best-attended annual event.
Residential areas radiate outward from the Central Business District. At the western terminous of the city on the highway to Mbabane is KaKhoza Township, a poor neighborhood with the appearance of an informal settlement. North of downtown beyond the Mavuso International Trade Fair (opened 2004) along a bypass road (opened 1994, rebuilt 2004 for the opening of the Mavuso Trade Fair) is Helemesi Estates. Here middle-class dwellings were erected in the early 1990s on the former farm of Sydney Williams, the long-serving Resident Commissioner during British rule. Helemesi is the SiSwati corruption of the name Williams. The housing development is surrounded by Fairview Township, developed in 1964 during the twilight of colonial rule as Swaziland's first integrated residential neighbourhood. 19th century law, reaffirmed by ordinances in the 1920s, forbade Swazis from residing or owning businesses in Bremserdorp. Until the 1960s Swazi business proprietors used Europeans as fronts in order to operate "Native Eating Houses" and other establishments.
The popularity of Fairview Township prompted the expansion of the area north of a hill occupied at its summit by St. Paul's Methodist Church and School, beside a landmark water tower. The newer development was named Fairview North and the original development became Fairview South.
Upscale residential neighbourhoods were erected to the east of downtown, beginning with Coates Valley in the 1960s. Extension 6 north of Coates Valley is predominately middle class homes, and abuts a planned community of up-market properties, Madonsa Township. Large homes were erected at Madonsa Township from the 1990s until all lots were developed ten years later.
South of downtown is the sprawling lower and middle-class Ngwane Park Township, developed from a private farm since the 1970s. However, most areas surrounding Manzini are rural Swazi Nation Land administered by chiefs.
Manzini has its pockets of extreme poverty: informal settlements along the river, east of Coates Valley, and west between KaKhoza Township and the industrial town Matsapha.
In 1915, the first hotel since Bremersdorp's post-Anglo/Boer War reconstruction was opened on the banks of the Mzimene River. Named the Riverside Hotel, it remained opened until 1997, changing its name over the years to the Manzini Arms Hotel and in the 1990s the Velebantfu Hotel. The buildings were intact after closure for several years, but were leveled in 2008 by private developers. A shopping mall opened on the site in 2011.
Opened in the 1970s, Matsapha International Airport, Swaziland's only commercial airport, lies 10 km. to the west. Under construction in Sikhupe, 60 km east, is a new international airport. Manzini is the closest urban centre.
Manzini was declared a city in 1994, when its administrative apparatus, the Manzini Town Council, became the Manzini City Council.
Manzini is home to a Nazarene High School, which has a successful school choir.
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
's largest urban centre, known as "The Hub" of Swaziland. Swaziland's primary industrial site at Matsapha lies near the town's western border. Population is 73,000 (2004). Known as Bremersdorp until 1960, tt is the capital of the Manzini District
Manzini District
Manzini is a district of Swaziland, located in the center-west of the country. It has an area of 5,068 km² and a population of 292,000 , and is divided into 16 tinkhundla. Its administrative center is Manzini. It borders all three other districts: Hhohho in the north, Lubombo in the east, and...
.
A commercial centre from the time a trading post was opened in 1885, Bremersdrop was designated a township in 1898. Arthur Bremer sold his hotel for use as British Colonial authorities who had administered Swaziland since 1894 as their national administrative headquarters, and stipulated that the settlement would bear his name. "Dorp" is the Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
word for "small town." The name reverted to its original Swazi name, Manzini, in 1960.
The town was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
/Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
colonial headquarters from 1890 but was destroyed in 1902 amid the Anglo-Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, when the administrative centre
Administrative centre
An administrative centre is a term often used in several countries to refer to a county town, or other seat of regional or local government, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located....
was transferred to Mbabane
Mbabane
-References:...
. However, Bremersdorp (later Manzini) subsequently remained the commercial, agricultural and transportation heart of Swaziland, earning the town the nickname "The Hub." Since its inception in the 1920s, the Agricultural Show (name later changed to the Swaziland International Trade Fair) has been the country's largest and best-attended annual event.
Residential areas radiate outward from the Central Business District. At the western terminous of the city on the highway to Mbabane is KaKhoza Township, a poor neighborhood with the appearance of an informal settlement. North of downtown beyond the Mavuso International Trade Fair (opened 2004) along a bypass road (opened 1994, rebuilt 2004 for the opening of the Mavuso Trade Fair) is Helemesi Estates. Here middle-class dwellings were erected in the early 1990s on the former farm of Sydney Williams, the long-serving Resident Commissioner during British rule. Helemesi is the SiSwati corruption of the name Williams. The housing development is surrounded by Fairview Township, developed in 1964 during the twilight of colonial rule as Swaziland's first integrated residential neighbourhood. 19th century law, reaffirmed by ordinances in the 1920s, forbade Swazis from residing or owning businesses in Bremserdorp. Until the 1960s Swazi business proprietors used Europeans as fronts in order to operate "Native Eating Houses" and other establishments.
The popularity of Fairview Township prompted the expansion of the area north of a hill occupied at its summit by St. Paul's Methodist Church and School, beside a landmark water tower. The newer development was named Fairview North and the original development became Fairview South.
Upscale residential neighbourhoods were erected to the east of downtown, beginning with Coates Valley in the 1960s. Extension 6 north of Coates Valley is predominately middle class homes, and abuts a planned community of up-market properties, Madonsa Township. Large homes were erected at Madonsa Township from the 1990s until all lots were developed ten years later.
South of downtown is the sprawling lower and middle-class Ngwane Park Township, developed from a private farm since the 1970s. However, most areas surrounding Manzini are rural Swazi Nation Land administered by chiefs.
Manzini has its pockets of extreme poverty: informal settlements along the river, east of Coates Valley, and west between KaKhoza Township and the industrial town Matsapha.
In 1915, the first hotel since Bremersdorp's post-Anglo/Boer War reconstruction was opened on the banks of the Mzimene River. Named the Riverside Hotel, it remained opened until 1997, changing its name over the years to the Manzini Arms Hotel and in the 1990s the Velebantfu Hotel. The buildings were intact after closure for several years, but were leveled in 2008 by private developers. A shopping mall opened on the site in 2011.
Opened in the 1970s, Matsapha International Airport, Swaziland's only commercial airport, lies 10 km. to the west. Under construction in Sikhupe, 60 km east, is a new international airport. Manzini is the closest urban centre.
Manzini was declared a city in 1994, when its administrative apparatus, the Manzini Town Council, became the Manzini City Council.
Manzini is home to a Nazarene High School, which has a successful school choir.