For a group of senior citizens on a WhatsApp group, a picture of the construction of the 1860 Indenture Monument in Durban means a thousand words. 

So said Eddie Poonsamy, 66, who lives in North Beach, each time he updates his local temple WhatsApp group and family on the progress made at the site along the uShaka Beach Promenade.

Culturalists and stakeholders regard the monument as a step towards honouring the legacy of Indian indentured labourers who first arrived in Durban from 1860.

Once completed, the monument is expected to encapsulate their sacrifices and contributions ahead of the 165th commemoration of the arrival of the first indentured workers on November 16, 2025.

Poonsamy, who grew up at the Magazine Barracks in Durban before his family was relocated to Westcliff in Chatsworth, said group members were elated when they saw images of contractors who broke ground at the site. 

“I am always on the beach promenade, so when work began, I took pictures and shared them with the groups. Over the years, they had lost hope, but now there has been a keen rise in interest around the monument. The senior citizens in these groups are anticipating the completion of the monument,” Poonsamy said.

 Selvan Naidoo, director of 1860 Heritage Centre in Durban, said it was a proud moment for him personally, being the great-grandson of Camachee indentured no. 3297, who arrived in Durban in 1864. 

“We take great pride knowing that her legacy and that of the other 152,184 indentured workers will finally have their place in telling the history of the South African story, making up all of its people. Unbowed, unwavering, and unflinching, we remain resolute in telling the story of indenture and our Makkal (people) 31 years into South Africa’s Democracy,” he said. 

According to IOL reports, the contractor and artist Brendon Edwards explained that the monument will be eight meters high and will have the names of 684 Indian indentured labourers and the 29 individuals who died on the ship named Belvedere.

Edwards said the sugarcane archer will be 684 strands representing the DNA of those who made the trip. This will then come down into the additional bronze, which has now been added, representing the family of the indentured. 

There will be a pond to symbolise the ocean, water, and the trip they made.  Embracing the design is the Zulu nation’s kraal, welcoming the indentured.

“The names of our forebears and the story of their journey are important and serve to educate the general public,” said Seelan Achary, chairperson of the 1860 Commemoration Council. 

“We are happy to see construction has begun, and we urge the MEC for Arts and Culture to continue to communicate with all stakeholders as was evident at a meeting earlier this year,” Achary said. 

Omie Singh, president of the KZN International Business Association (KIBA), said he was excited that the contractor had broken ground on the project.

Singh said the site’s location was in a prominent tourism node and a well-frequented public area. He believed that the monument would be a visual history lesson on Durban’s development, both economic and agricultural.  

“This monument will give people an educational experience in the role played by the indentured labourers in Durban. The indentured labourers could have sat on this very same sandbank 160 years ago when they were brought across from the Bluff. With this monument, there will always be a conversation and discussion among ordinary people around the arrival of the labourers for decades to come.” 

Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabheka Zulu said he felt proud that his forefathers, who toiled the soil, would finally be recognised despite the challenges faced with the design. 

“This monument serves as a poignant reminder of their sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs. It symbolizes the enduring legacy of the indentured laborers and our descendants, who have become an integral part of our society.

“Our forefathers left behind their homes, families, and familiar surroundings to work in unfamiliar and often harsh conditions. They toiled tirelessly to build our country, contributing to its growth and development,” he explained.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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