A mountain called Babanango is situated about 69km north of Melmoth and looks down on a town with the same name. The origin of the name is vested in Zulu History and according to legend the son of a chief had disappeared. The whole community was involved in the search and when a member of the search party found the child he called out Baba, nango! (‘Father, here he is!’).
Today Babanango is the commercial centre of the district where cattle and sheep farms form the basis of the economy.
There is an area known as Emakosini (‘graveyard of the kings’) in the district and it is considered to be holy ground for the Zulu. It is bordered in the South by the uMgungundlovu ridge and by the White Umfolozi in the north. This area is the last rest of many of the great chiefs and kings of the Arna-Zulu. Amongst those that are buried here is the founder of the Zulu. His grave is known as kwaNkosinkulu (‘the place of the chief) and is indicated by a thorn tree (Noorsdoring). Some of the other leaders that are buried here are Senzangakhona (Chaka’s father) and Dinizulu, son and successor to Cetshwayo.
