On 16 November 1860, the first Indians landed in Durban aboard the SS Truro from Madras, having been brought to work in the sugar cane plantation of the then Port Natal.
By 1903, Sir Liege Hulett, knighted for his contributions to the colony of Natal, operated his first sugar mill and controlled a sizable portion of the sugar produced in Natal.
The 152 184 Indians were indentured labourers, a type of debt servitude that differed from slavery only in that the workers received food and board, and a small monthly stipend.
Today, 130 years later, the descendants of those Indians, who are still largely dependent on the sugar business, stand to lose their livelihoods at the hands of the corporation that flourished as a result of their ancestors’ labour.
People of Indian descent make up 57% of the population of the Tongaat area.
Given the significance of Tongaat Hulett in growing the economy of KwaZulu-Natal and its indentured labour history, the imminent collapse of the company conjures up a multitude of bittersweet reflections, said Selvan Naidoo, director of the 1860 Heritage Centre, which aims to showcase the rich heritage of Indian South Africans.
Recently the sugar and property company filed for voluntary business rescue for its South African operations after lenders pulled their financial support.
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