Lusikisiki is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, situated along the R61 Provincial Route, approximately 42 km south-east of Flagstaff, 41 km north of Port St Johns, 124 km north-east of Mthatha, and 200 km south-west of Port Shepstone.
The town’s name is onomatopoeic, derived from the rustling sound of reeds in the wind, named by the local Xhosa people.
Lusikisiki falls within the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality and the OR Tambo District Municipality.
Some of the attractions in Lusikisiki include the Magwa Waterfall, which lies in the middle of the 1,800-hectare (4,400-acre) Magwa tea plantation, South Africa’s last remaining tea estate just outside Lusikisiki. The curtain of the Magwa Waterfall falls 144 metres (472 ft) and drops into a narrow canyon.
Other points of interest include the Mkambati Nature Reserve, which comprises the Mzamba Fossil Beds, estimated to be about 60 million years old, the Ntsubane Forest, and the Lupatana Nature Reserve.
History
Pre-colonial era
In this era, the AmaMpondo King’s kraal occupied what is now the present town village.
Colonial era
By 1894, European settlers started settling in Lusikisiki after Mpondoland was annexed by the Cape Colony, and a magistrate took up residence there with a military camp established as well.
Apartheid era
In 1953, the South African Apartheid government made attempts to persuade the people of Lusikisiki to accept the rule of Bantu authorities, which they had established. The government worked with Paramount Chief King Botha Sigcau to attempt to start a rehabilitation scheme in Pondoland. The scheme was presented to the Lusikisiki community but was rejected. A few days later, the police entered the area. A man called Mngqinga led a large local group to attack the police. This was later known as the Lusikisiki Revolt.
Crime
In 2021, Lusikisiki was ranked number 1 in South Africa in terms of the national crime rate; these crimes included domestic robbery and sexual harassment.
On 28 September 2024, two mass shootings took place in Lusikisiki, killing 18 people and injuring 5 others.
