Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal
Phoenix | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 29°42′04″S 31°00′14″E / 29.701°S 31.004°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Municipality | eThekwini |
| Area | |
• Total | 30.16 km2 (11.64 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 176,989 |
| • Density | 5,900/km2 (15,000/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 12.1% |
| • Coloured | 1.8% |
| • Indian/Asian | 85.0% |
| • White | 0.2% |
| • Other | 0.9% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • English | 87.4% |
| • Zulu | 8.1% |
| • Other | 4.5% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 4068 |
| PO box | 4080 |
| Area code | 031 |
Phoenix is a South African town about 25 kilometres (15 mi) northwest of Durban Central, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was established as a town by the apartheid government in 1979, but it has a long history of Indian occupation. It is associated with the Phoenix Settlement, built by Mahatma Gandhi.
In 2021, riots broke out in KwaZulu-Natal after the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma. The riots also occurred in Phoenix and armed citizen militias were formed. There were violent clashes between the communities and rioters from nearby settlements like Inanda, which caused the deaths of 36 people and increased racial tensions between Indian and black communities in the area.
The area is filled with the majority indian/asian people also referred to as thumbies by locals.