To think of The Durban Township Scene Tour simply as an afternoon outing in Durban’s Inanda and KwaMashu townships is to miss an incredible opportunity to walk the path of some of the world’s greatest icons, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, and to overlook the profound contributions made to South Africa’s history by lesser known, but equally important figures like Dr. John Dube and Nokutula Dube. The tour is an incomparable blend of history and a look at contemporary South African life.

We begin our journey through Inanda where we visit the Gandhi settlement in Bhambayi. Bhambayi is located next to the famous Phoenix Settlement, which Mahatma Gandhi founded as a model for a peaceful, non-segregated neighbourhood. It’s here that Gandhi became the powerful political leader we know today, after experiencing racial discrimination in South Africa and formulating his philosophy of "Satyagraha" (non-violent resistance). Not far from here is Gandhi’s home in Inanda, which has been restored to its original state.

From one icon to another: we soon head over to Ohlange Institute to learn about the origins of the school, its historical significance and its founders, who are little known to many South Africans. The Ohlange Institute was independently founded by Dr. John Dube and Nokutula Dube in 1900 without the help of the then white minority government. Apart from being an essayist, philosopher, educator, politician, publisher, editor, novelist and poet, this prolific thinker was also the founding president of the South African Native National Congress, which became the African National Congress in 1923. Dube served as SANNC president between 1912 and 1917. So there’s perhaps no other place more loaded with history and symbolically appropriate for the father of the nation, uTata Nelson Mandela to have cast his vote in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994 than at the school started by one of the founding fathers of the ANC.

In addition to founding the Ohlange Institute and the pre-ANC political organisation, Dr. John Dube made many other significant contributions, amongst them popularising Enoch Sontonga’s Nkosi Sikhelele Afrika, the hymn that forms the backbone of the current national anthem. After discovering the esteemed place the school holds in the community and the country’s history, it’s time to experience the neighbourhood as it is today. For this we visit Sbu’s Lounge for a taste of contemporary KwaMashu weekend vibes. We get stuck into a traditional Shisa Nyama (local version of a barbecue) lunch at the tavern and shoot the breeze with Sthembiso, our guide and somewhat of a local legend who residents refer to as “The Mayor”.

The last stop on our journey through Inanda and KwaMashu’s past and present concludes with a visit to Sthembiso’s place where we allow the depth of Inanda and KwaMashu’s historical and cultural richness to fully set in as the sun goes down on an awe-inspiring day.