Africa Antiqua: Mysteries of the Dragon Mountains

One of the magic places we will visit is the spectacular Didima valley near Cathedral Peak in the northern Natal Drakensberg.  Originally called Ndedema a word that relates to the Zulu concept of thunder (duma),  the valley is overlooked by tall basaltic cliffs that literally thunder and shake when struck by lightning. 

Didima was the hideaway of some of the last Bushman rock artists of this impressive mountain range.  In 1880 some Bushmen were still said to be living in caves in some of the more inaccessible parts of the valley.   But is was as late as 1928 that a local farmer, a Mr. Lombard, found a complete Bushman bow and arrow set hidden on a ledge in a spectacularly decorated cave.  So fresh were the bow and arrow and associated grass bedding that this find encouraged speculation  that ‘wild Bushmen’ may still be living in the Berg.  In the 1970’s a young Austrian, Harald Pager, initiated a programme to record the thousands of Bushman rock art images that occur in shelters and overhangs throughout the region.  Interestingly, Harald Pager is still widely regarded as the most thorough and meticulous rock art recorder of all time.  The product of all his hard work was published in a lavishly illustrated book called ‘Ndedema’.  Today this book is widely regarded as Africana and if fortunate one can still purchase a second hand copy for around R 5000.00

More recently the local Parks Department, called Ezemvelo KZN-Wildlife, developed a hotel complex and associated Rock Art Centre close to the valley.  The San Rock Art Centre has a fine display of Drakensberg rock art  but the high point is a superbly done audiovisual display on the ‘meaning of rock art’.  The hotel itself is designed in a style that relates to Bushman folklore and beliefs. 

An easy walk from the hotel leads visitors to the beautiful Rainbow Gorge. This gorge is covered in indigenous forest and with clear mountain streams and waterfalls.   The path which we travel crosses an old Iron Age site – most probably inhabited by the amaZizi, the first black people to settle in the Drakensberg. However, with the expansion of the Zulu kingdom in the 1820’s many amaZizi left the Drakensberg and fled to the south.  Those that remained became cannibals and occupied rock shelters previously occupied by the remaining Bushmen.  Around 1845 many Amangwane tribes-people were settled in the lower lying areas adjacent to Didima by the British colonial authorities.  Their descendants still live in this area.