Developments in the Township

The Department of Bantu Administration helped in the building of the houses for the first residents of Imbali Township.

The houses were made up of cement blocks with a steel door and an asbestos roof. The interior had 4 rooms and the people had access to the water easily.

They had a water system a toilet and a shower in their outside buildings. The houses had no electricity , but it wasn't something that the residents weren't used to.

There were certain conditions that allowed you to get a house

They were:

1. You had to be married .
2. You had to be working within the Pietermaritzburg area .
3. You certainly had to pay rent .

The roads were not tarred. The main road was called Willowfontain Road. The roads were named by Mr C.A.G. Dhladhla (amongst the first residents) commissioned by the Department of Bantu Administration which were managed by Mr McCollough . The names of the roads of Imbali come from Flora and Fauna found within Kwa- Zulu Natal and a few are named after Black people.

Here are some of the well known ones:

Named after plants:

uMthombothi , uMdoni , uMsomi , uMsinsi Named after animals: uMbabala , uMbube , uNkonka

Named after people (their surnames):

Thwala , Nkabinde

There were other developments in the township