More about the Finest Canoe Club in the Whole Dam Universe
Dabulamanzi Canoe Club was founded by a group of paddlers who decided to set up the second canoe club in Johannesburg (after JCC), which would be more conveniently situated in the north of Johannesburg, in 1979. The founder members, realising that Emmarentia Dam was to be the premier Gauteng canoeing venue of the future, had the vision to establish a club, which today consistently has a membership of some 1000+ members, comprising world champions in various categories, SA National Team members, SA champions, a strong provincial representation and recreational (fish n’chips) paddlers.
Dabulamanzi Canoe Club derives its name from Dabulamanzi kaMpande (1839 – 1886) a Zulu warrior who commanded the Zulus at the Battle of Rorke’s Drift. His name is interpreted as ‘the one who conquers the waters.’ One of the founders of our club, Alan Witherden, was aware of the meaning of the name (although not, at that stage, its prestigious history). Thankfully his suggestion won out against competing names like The Whirlpool, Emmarentia Paddlers and Saxon Splashers. Chief Dabulamanzi’s father was the Zulu King Mpande, which made Dabulamanzi a half-nephew of the legendary Shaka and younger half-brother of Cetshwayo kaMpande, the last king of the Zulu Kingdom. After the defeat of the Zulus and the deposition of Cetshwayo, Dabulamanzi campaigned for the return of his brother to power. When Cetshwayo was restored in 1883, Dabulamanzi fought on to maintain the unity of the Zulu Kingdom.
Dabulamanzi blog posts
Dabs News – Our Iron Men
Well done K&C. They might not look they are made of iron, perhaps because of too much KFC washed down with copious amounts of cold beer, but Kevin and Chuck are our latest Pope Ellis Iron Men, having completed the Midmar Mile, Comrades Marathon, and the Dusi Canoe...
Dabs News – N3TC Drak Challenge
To go or not to go, that was the question, as it looked like there would be little to no water for the 2025 N3TC Drak Challenge. Some were committed and some sat on the fence waiting, while the organizers sent out a deluge of pictures with the promise of rain. Still,...
Dabs News – Busting oceans and dams January 2025
Dabs is full of amazing characters – but Moolies Moolman is in an extraordinary league of his own; now having written history in making the fastest ever solo crossing of the Atlantic. But no Moolies trip is without a bit of drama and a tale or two; it wasn’t all plain...