OThongathi

oThongathi was established as Tongaat in 1945 and its name was taken from the name of the uThongathi River which passes by the town: The name of the river, derived from Zulu, is said to mean

'it is important to us' or 'you are important because of us', referring to legends involving reaction to a denigrating remark in the first instance, and to Shaka's magnanimous view of a tribe he had just made subservient to him[4]

In 2017 plans were made for the restoration of the historic railway station building.[5]

In November 2009, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality submitted a list of places in the municipality to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Geographic Names Committee to be changed from their anglicised names to the correct Zulu spelling. In the list, the town Tongaat was to be changed to "oThongathi" and the Tongaat River was to be changed to "uThongathi River".[6] On 1 October 2010, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture gazette the list of approved name changes which included the town of Tongaat and the Tongaat River.[7]

Ever since the name change, the South African National Roads Agency Ltd. (SANRAL) has changed the road signs on the N2 leading to and at the uShukela Drive interchange (Exit 202) just outside oThongathi, however there are still several road signs that still remain with the name "Tongaat" and many Durbanites and residents of oThongathi still refer to it by its previous name.

oThongathi is located on a gentle hilly terrain surrounded by sugarcane plantations of the uMhlanga Coast, which stretches from the uMngeni River in the south to the uThongathi River in the north and alongside oThongathi the coastal region includes Durban North, uMhlanga, Mount Edgecombe, Verulam, eMdloti, La Mercy and Westbrook.[8]

Most of oThongathi lies south of the uThongathi River including the Central Business District (CBD), the industrial zones of Tongaat Industrial and Trurolands and the residential suburbs of Gandhi's Hill, Mitchell Village, Mithangar, Buffelsdale, Flamingo Heights, Watsonia, Vanrova, and Belvedere. In addition, the neighbouring township of Hambanathi lies on the southern banks of the river and west of the R102. Tongaat Hulett's Maidstone Sugar Mill, Maidstone Golf Club and the suburbs of Fairbreeze, Burbreeze, Newton and Sandfields all lie to the north of the uThongathi River.

oThongathi's CBD is typical of small towns as it is stringed along the main road, Gopalall Hurbans Road and is bordered by the railway to the east. oThongathi's CBD includes public amenities such as a town hall, police station, library, sports centre, a Home Affairs regional office and the only hospital in the town, Mediclinic Victoria Private Hospital.

oThongathi only has one shopping centre which is Ganies Mall in the CBD and the remainder of its retail sector is purely based on the string of retail stores and services in the CBD. ,A new oThongathi Mall, which once collapsed in 2013 during construction, was reconstructed in the same plot of land as previously and was opened to the public in March 2023.[9]

oThongathi is home to Tongaat Hulett, one of the largest sugar producers in Africa which has its headquarters located just outside the town and owns and operates the Maidstone Sugar Mill which is located on the northern banks of the uThongathi River and is one of South Africa's first sugar mills – completed in 1850.

oThongathi is home to numerous cultural and religious organisations and buildings. These include:

• Brake Village Sri Siva Soobramaniar Alayam[10]
• Shree Veeraboga Emperumal Temple[11]
• Chinna Thirupathi Venkataswara Devasthanam

In April 2022, floods caused by abnormal heavy rainfall struck the Greater Durban region and one of the worst affected places in the region was oThongathi. The oThongathi Waterworks Treatment Plant's poorly maintained infrastructure was exacerbated by the floods which caused extensive damage to the oThongathi Waterworks Treatment Plant leaving many residents without water supply.[12]

Although water tankers had been sent to oThongathi, they were reported to inconsistent further sparking protests around oThongathi even in the neighbouring township of Hambanathi where it was reported that even waterborne diseases began to flourish.[13]

Towards the end of August 2022, Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu announced that there would be a tie-in to the Mamba Ridge pipe that will assist to supply water from the Hazelmere Dam, near Verulam to oThongathi.[14]

After more than 200 days of water shortages, towards mid-November 2022, the oThongathi Waterworks Treatment Plant was fully repaired, and water supply was to implemented into phases to complete the commissioning of the oThongathi Water Works with the southern areas of oThongathi receiving water supply first before other areas.[15]

• Ahmed Amla, cricketer
• Ansuyah Ratipul Singh, medical doctor and writer is commemorated with a statue[16] in the Amanzinyama Gardens located at 29°34′13″S 31°07′23″E.
• Cecil Pullan, cricketer
• Colin Munro, cricketer
• Hashim Amla,[17][18] cricketer
• Katharine Saunders, botanical illustrator
• Kimeshan Naidoo, entrepreneur and engineer
• Prenelan Subrayen, cricketer
• Quarraisha Abdool Karim, scientist was born here in 1960.[19]
• Thandeka Zulu, actress and musician
• Thomas Hassall, Australian politician
• Two-Boys Gumede, footballer

• Vishwaroop Temple and Dharmashala
• Jugannath Puri Temple
• KZN: A Photographic and Historical Record
• Architectural Impact Assessment for properties affected by the proposed Tongaat Hulett uShukela Highway Project, Tongaat, eThekwini Metropolitan Council