Umkomaas

Umkomaas
Umkomaas
Coordinates	30 ° 12 ′  S , 30 ° 48 ′  E Coordinates: 30 ° 12 ′  S , 30 ° 48 ′  E
Basic data
Country	South Africa
province	KwaZulu-Natal
metropolis	eThekwini
height	36 m
Residents	2716 (2011)
founding	1861

Umkomaas is a coastal town on the South Coast KwaZulu-Natals in South Africa . In 2011 it had 2,716 inhabitants. The city emerged after a port was built at the mouth of the navigable Mkomazi in 1819 . Sugar was exported through this port. When Durban's port was dredged and cleared of obstructive shoals and the railroad appeared as an additional means of transport, the importance of the port declined considerably - similar to the port of Port Shepstone .

The city got its name from the many whales that gave birth to their young in the shallow waters of the estuary. The Zulubezeichnung for the river uMkhomazi therefore ( "place of whale cows") comes. The settlement was formerly called South Barrow and the suburb of Ilfracombe was called North Barrow .

The city is 48 kilometers south of central Durban at an altitude of 36 meters above sea level. It can be reached by train and via the N2 national road and the old R102 (Old Main Road) .

climate

The average rainfall in Umkomaas is 805 millimeters per year. Most of the precipitation falls in summer (October to March). The lowest amount of precipitation occurs in June at 16 millimeters. Most of the precipitation falls in January (111 millimeters). The average maximum temperature in Umkomaas varies from 22 ° C in July to 27.1 ° C in February. The coldest month is July. Here the average minimum nighttime temperatures are 9.5 ° C.

Industry

At the end of the 1950s, Italian entrepreneurs built the large Saiccor factory for industrial cellulose production . The plant is located near the city but further inland and is right on the river. When the company was founded, many Italians emigrated to South Africa , mainly from the Udine area . Umkomaas is one of the cities with the most Italians (in relation to population) in sub- Saharan Africa .

The Saiccor plant has been controversial for some time. It was bought by the large cellulose company Sappi in the 1990s . Although the site continues to provide thousands of jobs and livelihoods for its workers, concerns have been raised about the incidence of asthma and other health problems among children at the nearby school.

In addition, large amounts of sewage are discharged into the sea and major expansions to the drainage system were made in the late 1990s, despite Saiccor's long claim that the sewage was mostly harmless. One popular act of protest was carried out in the 1990s when a man appeared uninvited to a corporate party and challenged leaders to drink a glass of the sewage.

Freight transport at Umkomaas

Today Saiccor is the world's largest producer of chemical cellulose and provides just over 1,000 direct jobs. Most of the wood pulp produced here is processed into acetate and cellophane .

Other industries in the area are stone mining and furniture manufacturing. The infrastructure was developed by and for Saiccor. There is also a railway line along the coast operated by Transnet Freight Rail . The Banana Express steam locomotive occasionally drives here .

There are also large plantings of the non-native pine trees, mainly for saiccor. In agriculture, sugar cane is mostly grown.

Mkomazi River

The Umkomaas or Mkomazi River is the largest river on the South Coast and a defining feature of the landscape. The river occasionally hosts raft races, canoeing competitions, and other sporting events. During the dry season in winter the river silts up, but after heavy rains, large amounts of the brown sediment are washed back into the Indian Ocean .

Tourism and diving

Other tourist attractions include the Umkomaas Golf Course , considered one of the best golf courses in KwaZulu-Natal and Tim Clark's home golf course , and the Empisini Nature Reserve with a waterfall and various hiking trails through the forested area. In the vicinity of Umkomaas is also the settlement of Clansthal , where the environmentalist Tony Pooley lived in the 1980s and 90s. The Swedish tennis player Mats Wilander also came to this area regularly.

The Aliwal Shoal coral reef , which is five kilometers from the coast, offers very good diving opportunities, which Umkomaas is known for. Sand tiger sharks , cod and many other species can be found in the shallow water around the reef . Diving tourism grew rapidly around the year 2000. There are also two shipwrecks, the Nebo and the Produce , which were there long before the current surge in popularity.

Schools and suburbs

In Umkomaas there is, among other things, a primary school that was founded in 1913.

The suburbs of the city include Widenham , also known as Sand City because of the large sand dune covered with bushes , and the planned settlement Saiccor Village , which was built in the 1950s and 60s for the workers of Saiccor. There are bathing beaches in Widenham and on the north bank of the Mkomazi near Ilfracombe. This is also the starting point for many boat and diving trips to the Aliwal Shoal .

This area with Widenham, Saiccor Village and Ilfracombe has about 4500 inhabitants.

Neighboring towns include Roseneath , Clansthal, Magabeni , Craigieburn and Umgababa .

fauna

The official symbol of Umkomaas is the whale. Images of whales can be found all over town, from wall paintings to the uniform of the local school. From June to October, humpback whales can be spotted around the Aliwal Shoal . Sand tiger and bull sharks have been spotted at the estuary, particularly as a result of Cyclone Demoina in 1984 and storms in September 1987.

There are many snakes in the area, most of which are harmless, such as white-lipped snakes (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia) and African house snakes (Lamprophis fuliginosus) . There are fewer monkeys here than in Scottburgh , but there are a lot of birds, for example sociable and friendly hawkfish . Small wild cats such as gorse and civet cats have also been spotted, but very rarely. Crocodiles there are around Freeland Park and the lower Amahlongwa river eight kilometers south, but not in itself Umkomaas. In Empisini Nature Reserve live very many duiker and bushbuck can be seen there.

A major natural event that occurs almost every year is the so-called Sardine Run , a sardine migration from the Wild Coast and other southern waters to the warmer areas of KwaZulu-Natal. This migration usually takes place in July. The sardines attract many seabirds, sharks and other predatory fish to an extent that is rarely seen otherwise. Jeff Corwin recorded the Sardine Run for Animal Planet .

Others

Umkomaas is one of the coastal cities that were hit by severe storms and giant waves in March 2007 . Beach promenades and the building complex The Whaler were damaged.

A Kittyhawk crashed at Umkomaas during World War II . It is believed that the plane sank in quicksand on the south bank of the Mkomazi between the city and the location of Saiccor. In the 1980s a group from Umkomaas attempted to recover the wreck, but as the exact location is still unknown, all attempts were unsuccessful. As a result, there is still a lot of speculation about the exact location the plane might be.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 2011 census , accessed November 17, 2013
2. ↑ Data on Umkomaas from Falling Rain Genomics, accessed on July 19, 2010.
3. ↑ Estcourt climate. SA Explorer, accessed March 23, 2010 . 
4. ^ Scuba Diving, Aliwal Shoal and Umkomaas Information. December 12, 2001, archived from the original on December 12, 2001 ; accessed on November 15, 2016 .