Ixopo, also known as Stuartstown, is a town situated on a tributary of the uMkhomazi River along the R56 highway in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Background
The town was laid out in 1878 and named after M Stuart, Resident Magistrate of the surrounding district, who was killed at the Battle of Ingogo in 1881.[2][3]: 256 Its name is derived from the Zulu onomatopoeic word, eXobo, describing the sound made as cattle squelch through mud.[3]: 256 The 'x', in Zulu, is pronounced as a lateral click.
The town is most famously described by Alan Paton in the opening lines of Cry, The Beloved Country: "There is a lovely road which runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it."[3]: 256
Until the mid-1980s, Ixopo was served by a railway station on the 610 mm (2 ft 0 in) narrow gauge Umzinto - Donnybrook narrow gauge railway.[3]: 256
Notable people
- Thabo Nodada (Footballer)
- Purity Nomthandazo Malinga (Bishop)
- Ray Zondo (Chief Justice, Constitutional Court of South Africa)
References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Ixopo". Census 2011.
- ^ "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 421.
- ^ a b c d Conolly, Denis (1975). The Tourist in South Africa. Travel-Guide (PTY) LTD. ASIN B0000E7XZN.
3. R56 information Route 56 - Ixopo
Municipalities and communities of Harry Gwala District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal | ||
|---|---|---|
District seat: Stuartstown (Ixopo) | ||
| Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma |  | |
| Greater Kokstad | ||
| Ubuhlebezwe |
| |
| Umzimkhulu | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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