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INTRODUCTION A VISITOR TO DURBAN may struggle to find a definitive phrase that fits the city and its suburbs. For Durban, or eThekweni as it is also called, contains such a vast spectrum of cultures, beliefs and physical and economic landscapes, that it is indeed difficult to encapsulate the place in a well-worded phrase. But it is precisely in this difficulty of finding a central metaphor or description that the secrets and riches of this lively African city reside. For Durban is a city of fusion, of cross-pollination, of wild eclecticism. Here Africa, Europe, America, and the East meet at a single geographical point. Muslims, African Christians, Catholics, Jews and Hindus build monuments to their gods and prophets that become defining elements of our physical and cultural skylines. Our menus reflect a cuisine that is truly global while strongly attached to its local roots. Our artists and performers create cutting-edge works that explore and celebrate the polyphonic symphony of a place that seems to be both at the very edge of the world, and at its centre. Of course, there are many such places on earth where cultures meet and marry. But what makes Durban different is that our diverse cultures all exert an equal influence on the gradually forming collective culture of the city. And while the melting pot is a defining element of 21st century life on earth, there are few places where people from such different backgrounds live together in harmony, without having to sacrifice their individual points of view. The word ‘cosmopolitan’, which so often means many cultures converging into one, takes on a fuller meaning in this city where freedom of association isn’t so much a political slogan, as something that has happened organically in post-apartheid Durban. While we are still in the process of negotiating our collective future, it doesn’t mean that we have to sacrifice our personal identities. And it is perhaps this realisation, consciously or not, together with the fact that we are at the edge of the world, which makes Durban a place where the spirit of freedom resides. But this freedom is not an end point. It is a beginning. A place and context from which we can confront the challenges that face us. And they are many. We are still in the process of coming to terms with the social and economic legacies of apartheid. We have the relatively new legacy of HIV to fight. And we find ourselves in a newly globalised world, where the political and economic goalposts have shifted considerably. The past cannot be changed, but the future is ours to define, and all these challenges will make us stronger. And as we rapidly make our way into the worlds of tomorrow, we do so in a place that, even with all of these challenges, is very much akin to paradise. Even in winter, while temperatures drop around the rest of the country, Durban remains a holiday oasis, a place where the air, the water, and the people are always warm, and the land is fertile. Remarkably so. Throw down a pawpaw (one of the many exotic gifts from afar that thrives in Durban) and shortly you will have a tree. The creative soil of Durban is equally nurturing, and the confluence of many cultures and many pasts has lead to a city that is profoundly creative. So much so that Durban is often recognised by those in other centres as an engine of creativity and a source of much of the country’s cultural wealth. And sure enough, if you go to those other South African cities, you will often find Durbanites at their creative centres. And even those who spend only a short sojourn in Durban invariably go away freshly inspired. But Durban doesn’t necessarily give away its secrets quickly to visitors, and its uncommodified beauty and adventure take time to explore. So this book is a shortcut; a way of getting to the heart of the city and its people. So that when you arrive in Durban/eThekwini, you will already in some small way, know a little about how it feels, and recognise its idiosyncratic pulse.

 
THE SHORT VERSION THE ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY covers 2 297 km2 and has a population approaching four million people. With 90 kilometres of coastline and 320 days of sunshine a year, it is South Africa’s favourite holiday destination. It also contains Durban Harbour, Africa’s premier port, and a vital cog in the South African economic engine. It is the economic centre of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’s second most populous province, and sits on the south eastern coast of Southern Africa where it meets the Indian Ocean. eThekwini is the Zulu name for Durban. A YOUNG DEMOCRACY: Durban has a progressive Municipality which celebrates diversity. This diversity is at the heart of Durban’s cultural and economic life, and gradually, as the legacy of the past begins to fade, the various racial groupings separated under apartheid are coming together in a new and exciting collective culture. DOMINANT ECONOMIC SECTORS include tourism, food and beverages, automobile and automobile components, non-ferrous metal, and pulp and paper. Major trading partners include Asia, North America and Europe. CREATIVE DURBAN: Durban is home to some world-famous artists, writers and performers. It is a city famed for its creativity where collabo-rations, both local and international, are the order of the day, and some see Durban as the future cultural centre of the South. THE FUTURE: By 2020, the eThekwini Municipality plans to make Durban Africa’s most caring and livable city, where all citizens live in harmony. This vision will be achieved by growing the economy, and meeting people’s needs, so that all citizens can enjoy a high quality of life with equal opportunities, in a city of which they are truly proud. FAITH If you want to know about religion in Durban, you can register much from a walk around the city’s streets. As well as the host of mosques, temples, synagogues, churches and cathedrals, declarations of faith are everywhere - whether it is the small star-shaped insignia that Zionist devotees wear on their lapels, or the massive selection of buses and minibuses bearing religious messages. Although South Africa is a secular country, most of its population lays claim to a faith. In keeping with its multicultural reality, religion in Durban is a vibrant melting pot of beliefs and theologies. And although religions are often defined by their separateness from each other, in times of struggle, Durban’s various belief systems often come together in multi-faith services. CHRISTIANITY: While most Durbanites profess to be Christians, this often means an entirely different set of rituals, prophets and theological structures to those usually associated with the faith. African Christianity, in the form of the Zionist and Shembe devotees, constitute the bulk of Christians in the Metro area, although there is a sizeable and diverse following of ‘conventional’ Christianities. Churches and cathedrals dot the landscape, fulfilling every possible permutation of spiritual desire within the parameters of modern Christianity. Check it out: The Emmanuel Cathedral in Grey Street and the Ecumenical Centre in St Andrew’s Street are well worth visiting. Many Christian churches played a substantial role in opposing apartheid and continue to help build and sustain communities. SHEMBE: The Shembe faith is often referred to as an Africanised Christianity. But despite much reference to the Old Testament and conventional Christian rituals, the Shembe’s spiritual resonance is more African than Western. The church was founded in 1910 and its devotees gather together in marginal outdoor spaces, dressed in white. They assemble on traffic islands for prayer or to practice their haunting Shembe horn, the inspiration for the vuvuzela. Go tell it on the mountain: Many followers believe that founder Isaiah Shembe was a direct manifestation of God. Every year believers make a pilgrimage to Mount Nhlangakazi, from which he is said to have jumped and survived unscathed. ZANZIBARI: Originating from the islands around Tanzania, the Zanzibaris arrived on our coast in 1874 after being rescued by the British from a slave ship. Their ‘rescue’ consisted of a five year term of indentured labour, after which they returned to their traditional way of life, buying a plot of land on the Bluff. Then, under apartheid, they were relocated to Chatsworth where they now live and practice Islam as their forefathers did. Reverse Diaspora: The Zanzibaris are one of many expatriated communities in Durban who have retained their religious and cultural beliefs. While people still argue about faith over the dinner table, freedom of religion is a basic premise of life in Durban. HARE KRISHNA: Durban boasts the biggest Hare Krishna temple in Africa, and is home to a thriving Krishna community. A visit to the lotus-shaped structure is an essential part of the Durban experience. And while you’re there, you should have lunch downstairs at Govindas, the vegetarian restaurant which also provides delicious food for the poor all over Durban. Chariots of the Gods: If you’re in Durban over Easter, look out for the Festival of Chariots which runs along the beach-front. The festival commemorates the meeting between Krishna and his devotees after many years at Kuruksetra in India. HINDUISM: Although only 2% of Durban’s population are Hindu, the faith has left a large footprint on the culture of the city. Hinduism first appeared in Durban in 1860, when indentured labourers arrived from India to work on the sugar plantations of Natal. Very soon they started to build shrines and temples. Today South African Hindus practice their faith in much the same way as they would do in India. Diwali Delight: The Indian Festival of Lights takes place every year in November. And if you can get to a high spot in one of Durban’s Indian communities, you’ll witness one of the biggest and longest display of pyrotechnics outside of India. ISLAM first arrived in South Africa as early as 1658 with the Dutch settlement in the Cape, but the first mosque was only erected in 1804. However, with the arrival of Indian labourers in Natal, the Muslim community mushroomed and today constitutes an important component of life in South Africa. A large proportion of South African Muslims are found in Durban and the azaan (the call to the faithful) is heard all over the metro area. African Islam: While the majority of Muslims are of Asian and Malay descent, the religion is increasing in popularity among the African population. Additionally, there is the presence of Africanised Islam, which has arrived here from elsewhere in Africa. ZIONISM: The predominant religious belief systems in South Africa are a fusion of Christianity and traditional beliefs. Referred to as Syncretism, Apostolicism and Zionism, Africanised Christianity is a marriage of western ritual and theology with African religious culture. The overwhelming majority of African Christians favour Africanised versions of Christianity, which do not violate the foundations of their traditional cultures. Confused? When reading about religion in South Africa, it is easy to get confused regarding African Zionism and Judaic Zionism. Although they bear the same name, they are two unrelated belief systems. JUDAISM: Judaism arrived in South Africa in the Cape in the early 1800s when European Jews immigrated to the country, and by the first half of the 20th century Jewish society flourished in South Africa. Today, however, Jewish people constitute only 0.2% of the population with the majority living in Johannesburg. Durban maintains a small but active Jewish community, linked by a trail of synagogues that run through the Metro area. Activists: During apartheid, the Jewish community was considered the most active among the white population in opposing apartheid, and a list of struggle heroes will feature several Jewish names. ART The creative output of Durban’s fine artists contributes greatly to the creative life of South Africa. From internationally recognised talents such as Zwelethu Mthethwa, Andrew Verster and the late Trevor Makhoba, to younger talents who are working at the edge of culture in the new South Africa, the only common thread is a sense of coming from a different angle, a different perspective, here on the south-eastern edge of the continent. As well as being part of a national dialogue, many of these artists are part of outreach projects, using art to heal and grow a new country. LANGA MAGWA works with traditional Zulu forms and materials, often twisting and re-narrating their conceptual and historical threads, playing with scale and marks of identity. At the same time, his respect for his heritage and ancestry form an integral part of his work. Magwa has several works on display in the Durban Art Gallery and has received international acclaim. Born: Claremont Lives: Glenwood Eats at: Arts Café at KZNSA Gallery Goes out to: Reggae sessions at friends’ houses In 2010 I will be: producing art. THANDO MAMA is a young South African artist on the rise. Using video and drawings, Mama uses his own face and body as the site of his work, opening up notions of identity and a self-hood that is determined by everything from media to race to bureaucracy. In the process, complex notions of blackness and Africanness are unfurled, moving far beyond the wisdom of hegemony.
Born: Eastern Cape Lives: Morningside Eats at: my local Chinese take-away Goes out to: Mugg & Bean In 2010 I will be: making art, of course. GREG STREAK is an artist who is not afraid to go against the tide. Politically strident, Streak’s work challenges the premises of life in contemporary South Africa. With a tendency towards minimalism and a succinct understanding of form and space, his installations always provoke thought. Streak heads art collective Pulse, and is a frequent purveyor of interventions.
Born: Zimbabwe Lives: Gillitts, Durban Eats at: Mo Noodles Goes out to: nowhere In 2010 I will be: watching the soccer World Cup. PAUL SIBISI has been active as an exhibiting artist and teacher of fine art since the mid-’70s. A painter, sculptor and graphic artist, Sibisi’s work varies from abstract to figure compositions. He has participated in group exhibitions in South Africa and abroad, and is represented in various collections including the Durban Art Gallery and UKZN’s Campbell Collection.
Born: Umkhumbane Eats at: home Goes out to: Bat Centre In 2010 I will be: painting soccer murals for the World Cup. SIMMI DULLAY is a South African who grew up in exile in Denmark and returned to South Africa at the beginning of the ’90s. That return was fraught with contradictions and Dullay’s art reflects the polycultural and often paradoxical strands that constitute her identity on a global stage, both in terms of how she sees herself and how she is constructed by others.
Born: Port Shepstone Lives: Reservoir Hills Eats at: 9th Avenue Bistro Goes out to: Bean Bag Bohemia In 2010 I will be: living in Durban or Denmark. We’ll see. In much of the work of KWEZI GULE, the very concepts of media and site dissolve into an engagement with the world itself. Although he is an assistant curator at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Gule is just as likely to be found outside the gallery, whether he’s handing out pamphlets about the wall in Palestine or spraying stencilled graffiti protesting the war in Iraq.
Born: Durban Lives: Jo’burg Eats at: Johnny’s Chip-Inn Ranch Goes out to: Berea Bar & Restaurant In 2010 I will be: in retirement, sipping cocktails on a Durban beach. The art of DOUNG ANWAR JAHANGEER engages with marginalised people and spaces in urban Durban. Rather than engaging in political condescension, Doung finds a genuine and carefully considered aesthetic in the lives and architectures of the poor. Using discarded objects and his own magical painting style, he opens up doors between parallel worlds. Born: Mauritius Lives: Puntans Hill Eats at: Johnny’s Chip Inn Ranch Goes out to: my home. I am more concerned with what is happening now than in 2010.
 Mozambiquan DANNY NOVELA walks the streets of Durban, carrying beautifully carved objects that are often almost his own height. His work consists mostly of abstracted carvings of the poorer people of Southern Africa. While there are other wood artists who produce similar work, there are few who manage to imbue their creations with such resonantly human souls. Born: Mozambique Lives: Durban and Mozambique Eats at: Something Fishy Goes out to: the beach, or soccer matches In 2010 I will be: in Durban, enjoying the World Cup. The strangely named RED EYE has had a dramatic effect on the art scene in Durban. Four times a year, the Durban Art Gallery and its surrounding spaces open up to the city’s youth and throw a giant party, where the vibes are great, and the focus is art in the broadest possible terms. In fact, it’s usually such an interesting evening, that there’s little doubt that the event itself qualifies as art. Although the focus is very much on pulling new young artists out of the woodwork, Red Eye has also attracted some of the biggest names in South African art, including Steven Cohen, William Kentridge, Jay Pather and Kathryn Smith. The regular event has also had a major impact on bringing people into the CBD. This year, the Durban Designer Collection, the city’s biggest fashion event, joined forces with Red Eye to take over the city.