No Longer at This Address – From Commercial Road to Dr AB Xuma Street

Commercial Road shares its name with streets all over the English-speaking world. The first Commercial Road was probably in London, where it was built by the Commercial Road Company. Similarly named Roads are generally named for the economic activity to which they played host when they were built. Today Commercial Road is mostly home to … Read more

No Longer at This Address – From Stanger Street to Stalwart Simelane Street

Stanger Street was named after William Stanger the first Surveyor General of Natal and was intimately involved in giving Durban its currrent form.  Although  Stanger’s achievements are no longer celebrated with a road name, the town of Stangerstill retains his name, as does the Stangeria eriopus, otherwise known as Stanger’s cycad, which Stanger misidentified as … Read more

No longer at This Address – the renaming of Durban’s streets

In early 2007 the African National Congress majority within the eThekwini Municipality approved a street renaming process that resulted in the renaming of over 100 prominent streets after various individuals who fought against the colonial and apartheid regimes. The process led to an unprecedented degree of public attention and debate. Among the first name changes … Read more

Akuselona leli kheli – Kusuba ekubeni uCommercial Road kwaba uDr AB Xuma Street

UCommercial Road wabelana ngegama lawo nezitaladi kuwo wonke umhlaba okhuluma isiNgisi. Umgwaqo wokuqala wezohwebo mhlawumbe wawuseLondon, lapho wakhiwa khona yiCommercial Road Company. Imigwaqo ebizwa ngokufanayo ibizwa ngokujwayelekile ngomsebenzi wezomnotho ebeziyinxenye lapho yakhiwa. Namuhla uCommercial Road iningi lezitolo zezindwangu futhi yakha umngcele oseningizimu we-Indian Quarter yaseThekwini. U-Alfred Bitini Xuma wazalwa ngo-1893 emndenini ohloniphekile wamaXhosa eTranskei. Kusukela … Read more

Akuselona leli kheli – Kusuka ekubeni uPoint Road kwaba uMahatma Ghandi Road

Yethiwe kanjalo ngoba ihamba eceleni kwesiqeshana somhlaba esincanyana esisogwini lweTheku, akusikho okokuqala ukuthi uPoint Road ashintshwe. Ngesinye isikhathi, sonke isigaba sePhoyinti kusuka kuSmith Street kuya emlonyeni wechweba sasiphethe abaphathi betheku, futhi saqanjwa ngoScott Street ngegama likaJohn Scott owayenguLieutenant- Governer waseNatali kusukela ngo-1856 kuya ku-1864. UMahatma Ghandi uhlala eyisithonjana samazwe onke sokuthula nenkululeko kubo bonke labo … Read more

No Longer at This Address – From Northern Freeway to Ruth First Freeway

The M4 Northern Freeway links Durban to its northern suburbs and the KZN North Coast (while the M4 Southern Freeway connects the CBD with Durban International Airport and the KZN South Coast). The Northern Freeway is an important arterial route into the city and was last upgraded in 2004. The photograph to the left shows … Read more