Sezela is a small town on the mouth of iSezela River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is 78.7 km south of Durban. It is notable for its large sugar mill. Etymology The river and the town are named after a crocodile. In 1828, the Zulu king, Shaka, hunted down a man-eating crocodile here. The crocodile was called iSezela meaning the one who finds by smell, for it was said that the crocodile hunted like a wild dog following a trail. History In 1915, the Reynolds Brothers opened a sugar mill at Sezela. This was later purchased by C. G. Smith, then by Illovo Sugar, and finally by Associated British Foods. In his book, Duncan du Bois describes in detail the ill treatment of the Indian indentured labourers who were brought from India to work in the mill. The workers had the choice to return to India after their indenture contract had expired, yet they chose to stay behind to develop this 'unknown area' into Sezela. Sezela was the only Indian settlement alongside the sea in those early years of the Indian colonisation of Natal. As the town (village) sprang up, the citizens were initially separated by a race/employment band. Originally, all management positions were reserved for the white race, per Apartheid legislation. Sezela was subdivided into districts: New Dheli; Oceanvale; Lower Sezela; and Upper Sezela (sadly, the latter two districts no longer exist). Sezela boasts two country clubs (Club Blue Horizon and Sezela Country Club) and two primary schools (once called Sezela State Aided Indian and Sezela Primary, the names of the schools were changed after 1994 to acclimatise with the new political atmosphere). The state aided school was heavily subsidised by the local sugar mill. The school, in honour of the subsidy, named their athletics 'houses' after the pioneer sugar magnates. On 13 August 1954, a whaling vessel belonging to The Union Whaling Company of Durban ran aground on the rocks of Umdoni Point. Due to windstorm and rough seas, the SS Uni X lost a propeller and in the windstorm was blown towards the shore. 13 Sailors were rescued by the Scottburgh Life Saving Club. When the tide is low, one can clearly see some of the remains of this wreck. Parts of this ship are currently on display at Sezela and Selborne Country Club. Sezela barracks One of the oldest residents to have been born in