The township where the Zulu Mpophomeni Tourism Experience (ZMTE) awaits, rests in this setting. It is therefore refreshingly unlike expansive, fashionable settlements such as Gugulethu in Cape Town and Soweto in Joburg.
At its entrance is the facebrick and thatch tourism complex which is being erected in the hope that it will entice locals into making a pitstop on their way to and from Pietermaritzburg, ultimately joining the international visitors who frequent Mpophomeni.
Once the gateway is complete, beadwork, baskets, leather products and fresh produce may be sampled, while entertainment takes to the stage and in a nearby rondavel an inyanga shows and tells.
In the building, which will house the information hub, staff will share their knowledge of the Midlands and, of course, what there is to experience in Mpophomeni.
The Zulu Mpophomeni Tourism Experience has a database of service providers, and each caterer and B&B owner gets a turn to entertain tourists.
Itineraries differ according to budget and preference, but on this particular day in the township the tour guide balances history lessons on the area with a visit to a sangoma, and a performance by Zulu dancers, before being tucked in at a B&B with a soul food-stuffed tummy.
Mpophomeni was the site of a protracted factory strike in the 1980s and early 1990s. The names of 120 people who died in the ensuing violence appear on a memorial wall named in honour of the youngest victim – five-year-old Nokulunga Gumede.
Her death saw residents of the township and the rural area who competed for employment, reconcile, says Sihle Zondi.
He has recounted these events for scores of tourists for more than seven years – since becoming a voluntary tour guide for ZMTE in Grade 10 – but the solemn manner in which he does so belies that fact.
The next stop is the lavender-scented rondavel of sangoma Sipho Luthuli. His “office” is filled with jars and bottles, one filled with a cloudy-looking liquid and another with snake skin.
Mixed herbs in tiger-skin fabric hang from the ceiling – they sometimes speak in a whistle which only Luthuli can hear and understand.
On the newspaper in front of him is a pile of bark, which will be boiled for a lengthy period before being used to chase away bad spirits and bring good luck.
The sangomas in the area are taught to conserve nature by the KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Department when collecting the ingredients for their medicines.
After observing the white-clad members of the Shembe church, worshipping from a respectful distance, a divine experience of a different nature is in store – a meal prepared by Primrose Mchunu. Braised beef and chicken, spinach, butternut and steamed bread is served from silver dishes to the straw mat, where the Zulu beer also spills.
Mchunu explains that this means the ancestors have then had their sip.
After lunch, Zulu dancers dressed in skins brave the chill in neighbouring Mafakathini, giving spirited renditions of songs about witchdoctors and jilted brides.
As the sun sets, it’s time to head towards Mpophomeni’s newly two-star graded B&B, Siphumelele. It has all the creature comforts of home – laughter and reflection around the dinner table with owner Nelly Sibiya, who also turns down the huge bed and fusses over whether there are enough blankets.
At Nelly’s, as it is informally known, it’s very easy to forget that the room isn’t yours – although the chocolates on the dresser are a good hint.
“People are tired of seeing the Big Five, they want to see how we live,” the tour guide said at some point during the extraordinary day. Indeed, and then Mpophomeni makes you want to stay.
To book: 033 238 0288, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.zmte.co.za. - The Mercury