Memorial to be built to mark arrival of 1st Indians

The ceremony was led by Willies Mchunu, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal Province, which is home to about two-thirds of South Africa’s 1.4 million citizens of Indian origin. He was joined by a number of local Indian leaders. “By working towards the erection of the monument, we are expressing our deep appreciation to our fellow brothers and sisters from India who unequivocally declared South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal in particular, as their preferred place to live in,” Mchunu told the local media. 

“We remain indebted to the Indian indentured labourers for their contributions, especially in terms of establishing the agricultural potential of KwaZulu-Natal, making it a world renowned region of the sugar industry,” Mchunu added.