NKANDLA FOREST HISTORY
Nkandhla is derived from the verb kandhla meaning "to tire, exhaust or prostrate' and is applied collectively to the various great and more or less connected forests that clothe the mountains, spurs and valleys of this area. Separate names are given to some of the forests e.g. Dukuza ( wander about), Elendhlovu (the elephant one), Elibomvana (the little red one) and Kwa Vuza (the dripping one). The slopes of the mountains are remarkable for their steepness and heights varies between 2000 - 3500 feet.
  
 The principal forest, as well as the deepest and darkest, is Dukuza, and visitors are liable to lose their way in the thick growth and go wandering about unless acquainted with the secret that, to find their way, they must climb the nearest ridge to see the direction to take. Trees grow to about eighty feet in some places.
A look out must be kept for snakes such as rocky cobras, mambas and puffadders.

Superstitious people will be interested to know that ghosts have, for generations , haunted and still do haunt the dense, precipitous forest Eziwojeni, immediately below Sigananda's kraal "Enhlweni".

Above and at the rear of the Mome waterfall (which has a drop of fifty feet) is a natural stronghold, the one used by Cetshwayo in 1883. The Mome gorge, takes its name from a stream that flows through it. It is about one and a half miles long, with great mountain walls on either side. At the head of the valley is the waterfall. Near the fall the ground rises on either side to an altitude of over 3000 feet, but at the mouth of the valley drops away with remarkable suddenness.
A couple of isolated forests are to seen within the valley, particularly the Dobo or "pear shaped" one in the west near the mouth.The sides of the gorge are so steep, like the letter V, that the sun in the morning and afternoon is shut out to such an extent that the day appears to be considerably shorter than it is. According to Zulu tradition, iron ore was mined in the upper Umhlatuze River Valley during Shaka's reign, and transported to the hiding place of Inkozi Sigananda Shezi, where it was melted into weapons and decorative articles. Some of these were sold to other tribes who accepted cattle as payment. It was believed that secrecy was necessary for the process to prevent adverse witchcraft by enemies.

Nkandla Forest is one of the traditional Forests of the Zulu people and one frequently used as a hiding place and refuge during unsettled periods of history.
In 1883 King Cetewayo's army was defeated by that of Usibepu, and the wounded king fled into hiding in the forest in Inkosi S Shezi's area. After repeated pleas from the Resident Commissioner, Sir Melmoth Osborn, the king moved to Eshowe , where he died a few months later in mysterious circumstances. His body was buried within sight of the forest, to the south near Nkunzane River. The remains of the wagon which carried his corpse to the site was placed atop the grave, and its remains s may be seen at Ondini Museum, near Ulundi. In 1934 a short-lived gold rush took place, during which 40 claims were pegged.