When Cetshwayo became king of the Zulus on 1 September 1873 he created, as was customary, a new capital for the nation. This place was named uluNdi (‘the high place’), usually called Ulundi by Europeans.
On 4 July 1879 the British army captured Ulundi and burned it down. This was the final battle of the Anglo-Zulu War and the plain on which it was fought is still littered with cartridge cases, spent bullets and other relics. A memorial has been erected on the site. Ulundi has since been rebuilt, and became capital of KwaZulu-Natal in 1994.
Mayhew, V. (ed) 1978. Illustrated Guide to Southern Africa. Cape Town: Reader’s Digest
