Nkandla is a rural town situated in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, approximately 50 km away from the Isandlwana battlefields.
Nkandla is the main town and administrative centre/seat of the Nkandla Local Municipality.
Nkandla is where the residence of the former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, is located. The residence, known as the Nkandla homestead, lies 40 km south of Nkandla town, beyond the Nkandla Forest and on the road to Kranskop. Zuma’s property comprises 3.83 hectares.
Nkandla is mainly a rural area and is in the top five of the poorest places in KwaZulu-Natal Province. Poverty is prevalent, with 44% unemployment. The majority of the population are Zulus.
Nkandla has a claim to be the ‘cradle’ of Zulu history. From Malandela to Shaka, to Dingane and Cetshwayo, Nkandla has been at the centre stage of the Zulu nation’s history.
The graves of King Malandela and Cetshwayo, and Inkosi Sgananda are at Nkandla.
A 2004 documentary, The Orphans of Nkandla, by the BBC and Truevision, recounted the hardships and poverty of orphans in Nkandla. The land is owned by the Ingonyama Trust, which, through the Zulu King, administers KwaZulu-Natal’s traditional lands on behalf of the State for the benefit of its occupants.
In 2004, Nelson Mandela joined Jacob Zuma to open Mnyakanya High School in Nkandla.
