Living legends and a stirring story
ONE-hundred-and-twenty guests gathered in the Oyster Box’s stylish Pearl Room on Thursday night to recognise two of Kwa-Zulu-Natal’s living legends.
A diverse group — CEOs, heads of hospitality, artists, advocates and architects — mingled over cocktails, and socialised over supper.
It was a formal affair with an abundance of black dresses and bow ties, among which Durban councillor Geoff Pullan’s flash of red was a welcome distraction.
Wayne Coetzer, host of the evening and general manager of the Oyster Box Hotel, welcomed the gathering that included the glamorous CEO of the Durban ICC, Lindiwe Rakharebe, as well as the always chilled Ndabo Langa, owner of The Chairman, one of South Africa’s coolest jazz bars. The evening, held to present the Land of Legends Association’s annual Ingwazi Award to those who have made a significant contribution to the province, honoured international awardwinning writer Marguerite Poland and Tourism Kwa-Zulu-Natal CEO Ndabo Khoza.
Each was given a trophy in the form of a piece of Ardmore ceramic art. Mick Goss, owner of Summerhill Stud farm and the upmarket boutique hotel Hartford House, presented Khoza with his award and reminisced about the birth of Land of Legends, an alliance of local establishments that promote Kwa-Zulu-Natal as a tourism option.
“In the late ’90s Kwa-Zulu-Natal was the capital of violence,” he said. “Tourists travelled to Cape Town or to Kruger and we were sucking the proverbial hind tit. From entertaining only 4% of the country’s international visitors we are now closer to 40%.
“We can claim lots of credit, but the bulk of it goes to Ndabo Khoza and his team.”
Jon Bates of Fordoun Hotel and Spa, who sprang onto the podium with the words “Old men can jump”, presented Poland with her award, saying that “no one paints a better picture in words than Marguerite”.
The food, as good as the company, was proudly local: a rich Indian Ocean crayfish bisque, followed by loin of lamb rolled in masala with coriander and chilli crushed potato. The puds included “Bombay crush” ice cream. Each course was paired with a Warwick Estate wine.
The keynote speaker, storyteller Rob Caskie, captivated guests by recounting the battle of Isandlwana. “January 22 1879 was a hot sultry day in the Zulu province,” he began, and 45 minutes later he had shown that there can be “extraordinary historical outcomes from the actions of single human beings” — what the Land of Legends awards are, of course, all
about. PRIZED PAIR: Ndabo Khoza and Marguerite Poland with their awards