Durban’s landmark King George V Hospital is to be renamed Inkosi Dinuzulu Hospital as the KwaZulu-Natal government moves to honour heroes who fought against colonialism and apartheid.
Premier Zweli Mkhize announced this during his State of the Province address on Tuesday.
Situated in Sydenham, the hospital, with 139 beds for tuberculosis patients, was officially opened in 1939.
Mkhize said the hospital would be renamed after the last Zulu king to command regiments in battle against colonialism, for which he was jailed on St Helena before being banished to Middleburg.
He said statues of several other heroes would be erected. These include former ANC presidents Pixley ka-Isaka Seme and Josiah Gumede, Dorothy Nyembe, Margaret Mncadi, Florence Mkhize, Archbishop Denis Hurley, Moses Mabhida, Harry Gwala, Victoria and Griffiths Mxenge, and Monty Naicker.
Statues of founding ANC president Langalibalele Dube and the tombstone of combatant Portia Ndwandwe were ready to be unveiled.
“We shall also lay memorial stones on the graves of King Solomon kaDinuzulu and Bhekuzulu kaSolomon, and the victims of past political conflict in our province, such as those of the Shobashobane (Ugu) and Molefe (Nqutu) massacres.
“Plans are afoot to build two grand museums, to commemorate the heroes of our Struggle on the site where the remains of Moses Mabhida and Johnny Makhathini are buried, as well as the Battle of Isandlwana,” he said.