Tugela River
Encyclopedia
- "Tugela" redirects here. For the racehorse, see Tugela (horse). For the snout moth genusGenusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, see LamoriaLamoriaLamoria is a genus of small moths belonging to the family Pyralidae.-Selected species:* Lamoria anella * Lamoria eumeces * Lamoria idiolepida Turner, 1922* Lamoria jordanis Ragonot, 1901...
.
The Tugela River is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The river originates in the Drakensberg
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
Mountains, Mont-aux-Sources
Mont-Aux-Sources
Mont-aux-Sources is a mountain range in Africa, forming one of the highest portions of the Drakensberg. A sheer wall of 1,000 vertical ft., known as the Sentinel, can be found here. A basalt plateau which lies at an elevation of about 10,000 feet , it is mostly within Lesotho.Mont-Aux Sources was...
, (itself the source of tributaries of two other major South African rivers, the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
and the Vaal River
Vaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
) and plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls
Tugela Falls
Tugela Falls is the world's second highest waterfall. The total drop in five free-leaping falls is . They are located in the Drakensberg in the Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Republic of South Africa. They are easily viewed after a heavy rain from the main travel road into...
. From the Drakensberg range the river follows a 502 kilometres (311.9 mi) route through the KwaZulu-Natal midlands before flowing into the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. The total catchment area is approximately 29100 square kilometre. Land uses in the catchment are mainly rural subsistence farming and commercial forestry.
Transfer schemes
There are a number of large inter-basin transfer schemes responsible for transferring water from the Tugela basin across the escarpment into the Vaal RiverVaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
system. The main scheme is the Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme
Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme
Construction on the Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme started in 1974 and was completed by 1981.Four dams are involved in the scheme; the Driekloof Dam , the Kilburn Dam, the Woodstock Dam and the Driel Barrage. Electricity generation equipment is located between Driekloof Dam and Kilburn Dam...
operated by Eskom
Eskom
Eskom is a South African electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission by the government of South Africa in terms of the Electricity Act . It was also known by its Afrikaans name Elektrisiteitsvoorsieningskommissie . The two acronyms were combined in 1986 and...
. There is also the original pumping station at Jagersrus.
Course
The Tugela passes Bergville and ColensoColenso, KwaZulu-Natal
Colenso is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is located on the southern bank of the Tugela River. The original settlement was contained within a loop on the river, but it subsequently expanded southwards and eastwards...
, the latter the site of an important battle
Battle of Colenso
The Battle of Colenso was the third and final battle fought during the Black Week of the Second Boer War. It was fought between British and Boer forces from the independent South African Republic and Orange Free State in and around Colenso, Natal, South Africa on 15 December 1899.Inadequate...
in the Second 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...
and for many years the site of the first major power station in Natal. The power station was built by the South African Railways to electrify the railway line north from Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
. It was coal-fired and the cooling water came from the Tugela.
Below the Buffalo confluence the Tugela flows southeast in a deep channel between cliffs and valleys until it reaches the narrow coast belt. Its mouth is nearly closed by a sand bar, formed by the action of the ocean. The Tugela is thus not navigable. It is generally fordable in the winter months, but after the heavy rains of summer, it however becomes a deep and rapid river.
Tugela mouth
The area near the mouth is known for a number of historical sites and events. The first European visitor to the vicinity was Vasco da GamaVasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
on December 28, 1497. He named a certain cape near this area Ponta da Pescaria, due to the number of fish they caught here. Portuguese survivors of the São Bento (Saint Benedict) shipwreck reached the river on June 1, 1554, and one of their company, the aged Fernão Alvares Cabral, drowned while crossing.
Near the John Ross bridge, 8 km from the mouth, is the site of the historic Zulu village Ndondakusuka. In 1838 Robert Biggar
Biggar family
The Biggar family, Alexander Harvey Biggar and his two sons Robert and George , were pioneer traders at Port Natal, in what was to become the Colony of Natal...
and John Cane fell here in the Battle of the Tugela when opposed by superior Zulu forces of Dingane
Dingane
Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu —commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan—was a Zulu chief who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828...
. In 1856 a major battle, the Battle of Ndondakusuka was fought nearby, and 23,000 died, when Mpande
Mpande
Mpande , uMsimude owavela ngesiluba phakathi kwamaNgisi namaQadasi, as he was praised, was king of the Zulu nation from 1840 to 1872, making him the longest reigning Zulu king. He was a half-brother of Shaka and Dingane, who both preceded him as kings of the Zulu...
's sons Mbuyazwe and Cetshwayo
Cetshwayo
Cetshwayo kaMpande was the King of the Zulu Kingdom from 1872 to 1879 and their leader during the Anglo-Zulu War . His name has been transliterated as Cetawayo, Cetewayo, Cetywajo and Ketchwayo.- Early life :...
vied for supremacy.
About 10 km above the mouth are two historic forts, Fort Pearson and Fort Tenedos
Fort Tenedos
Fort Tenedos was large earth-walled fort was constructed on the Zulu side of the Tugela River in January, 1879, opposite Fort Pearson, to support the British at the start of the Anglo-Zulu War. It was named Fort Tenedos after the British warship of the same name, , whose crew formed part of the...
, built by the British in 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War
Anglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
, to guard the passage of the river. Near Fort Pearson is also a fig tree, the so-called Ultimatum Tree, now protected in the Harold Johnson Nature Reserve. Here the British delivered an ultimatum to Cetshwayo
Cetshwayo
Cetshwayo kaMpande was the King of the Zulu Kingdom from 1872 to 1879 and their leader during the Anglo-Zulu War . His name has been transliterated as Cetawayo, Cetewayo, Cetywajo and Ketchwayo.- Early life :...
's chiefs as an excuse for the war.
The John Ross bridge is situated on the old N2 route
N2 (South Africa)
The N2 is a National Route in South Africa; it is the main highway along the Indian Ocean coast of the country. The N2 starts in Cape Town in the Western Cape and runs through the cities of Port Elizabeth and East London in the Eastern Cape and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal to end at Ermelo in...
, since replaced by the North Coast Toll Road which passes 3 km from the mouth. The bridge is named after "John Ross" (real name, Charles Rawden Maclean
Charles Rawden Maclean
Charles Rawden Maclean, also known as "John Ross" was born on 17 August 1815 in Fraserburgh and died 13 August 1880 at sea on the RMS Larne while on route to Southampton...
), who at the age of 15 walked from Port Natal to Lourenço Marques(now Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
) and back to procure medicine. The John Ross bridge collapsed in the September 1987 floods and was rebuilt subsequently.
Tributaries
The Tugela has a number of tributaries coming off the DrakensbergDrakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
, the largest being the Mzinyathi ("Buffalo") River
Buffalo River (KwaZulu-Natal)
The Buffalo River is the largest tributary of the Thukela River. Its source is northeast of Volksrust, close to the Mpumalanga / KwaZulu-Natal border in South Africa. It follows a southerly route into KwaZulu-Natal past Newcastle then turns southeast past Rorke's Drift, before joining the Tugela...
(rising near Majuba Hill), but also the Little Tugela River, Klip River (rising near Van Reenen Pass), Mooi River
Mooi River (river)
The Mooi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. It rises in the Mkomazi Nature Reserve in the Drakensberg Mountains, and empties into the Tugela River near Muden. The town of Mooi River lies on the river.-Name:...
, Blood River
Blood River
Blood River, , is situated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa- See also :* List of rivers of South Africa...
, Sundays River
Sundays River
The Sundays River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and is said to be the fastest flowing river in South Africa. The Khoisan people originally named this river Nukakamma because the river's banks are always green and grassy despite the arid terrain that it runs...
(rising in the Biggarsberg) Ingagani River and Bushman River
Bushman River
The Bushman's River is an east to north-easterly flowing tributary of the Tugela River, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg Mountain range, with its upper catchment in the Giant's Castle Game Reserve, north of the Giant's Castle promontory...
. The Buffalo River joins the Tugela some 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Tugela Ferry
Tugela Ferry
Tugela Ferry is a town on the northern bank of the Tugela River, in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. During the apartheid era it formed part of the KwaZulu homeland, and at present it is included in the Umzinyathi DM...
at 28°43′04"S 30°38′41"E.
The Blood River
Battle of Blood River
The Battle of Blood River, so called due to the colour of water in the Ncome River turning red with blood, was fought between 470 Voortrekkers led by Andries Pretorius, and an estimated 10,000–15,000 Zulu attackers on the bank of the Ncome River on 16 December 1838, in what is today KwaZulu-Natal,...
is so named due to the defeat of the Zulu king Dingane
Dingane
Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu —commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan—was a Zulu chief who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828...
, on 16 December 1838, by the Boers under Andries Pretorius
Andries Pretorius
Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius was a leader of the Boers who was instrumental in the creation of the Transvaal Republic, as well as the earlier but short-lived Natalia Republic, in present-day South Africa....
, when the river is said to have run red with the blood of the Zulus. Below the Blood River is Rorke's Drift
Rorke's Drift
The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
, a crossing point and another battle site, this time from the Anglo-Zulu War
Anglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
.
Spelling
The spelling "Tugela" was used for most of the twentieth century and is an Anglicised version of the Zulu name "Thukela". Nineteenth century writers adopted a variety of spellings including:- IsaacsNathaniel IsaacsNathaniel Isaacs was an English adventurer who played a part in the history of Natal, South Africa. He wrote a book spread over two volumes called "Travels and Adventures in Eastern Africa"...
(1836) used a number of different spellings in his book Travels and Adventures in Eastern Africa. including "Ootergale" and "Ootoogale". - C.R. MacleanCharles Rawden MacleanCharles Rawden Maclean, also known as "John Ross" was born on 17 August 1815 in Fraserburgh and died 13 August 1880 at sea on the RMS Larne while on route to Southampton...
(John Ross), writing in the Nautical Magazine in 1853 used the spelling Zootagoola - Angas, a nineteenth century artist, used the name "Tugala" on the captions to his sketches.
Some of the variations can be accounted for by the early European writers being unaware that Zulu grammar
Zulu grammar
Zulu grammar is typical for Bantu languages, bearing all the hallmarks of this language family. These include agglutinativity, a rich array of noun classes, extensive inflection for person , tense and aspect and a subject–verb–object word order.- Nouns :The Zulu noun consists of two essential...
uses prefixes, often a "i-" or a "u-", to denote the case of a noun.
See also
- List of rivers in South Africa
Dams on the Tugela
- Driel Barrage Dam
- Spioenkop DamSpioenkop DamSpioenkop Dam impounds the Tugela River in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located within a nature reserve by the same name. The dam was commissioned in 1973, has a capacity of , and a surface area of , the dam wall is high....
- Woodstock DamWoodstock DamWoodstock Dam is located on the upper reaches of the Tugela, KwaZulu-Natal, province South Africa and is the main source of water for the Thukela-Vaal Transfer Scheme....