Striving towards one Newcastle

On the eve of Newcastle’s 150th birthday, it was a great privilege to drive along Dr FT Mdlalose Drive and speak to the man himself, the legend after whom the street was named and one of the town’s most distinguished residents, Dr Frank Mdlalose.

While the town is abuzz with talks of how to commemorate 150 years since Newcastle was established in 1854, we took a walk down memory lane with Dr Frank. Seated snuggly on a cosy sofa in his living room, soaking in the warmth of a crackling log on the hearth on an unseasonably chilly day and taking tentative sips of his wife’s delicious soup, Dr Frank chatted about why Newcastle is, was and always will be Home.

Like putting his heart and soul into building his house in Madadeni from his own design and with a lot of hard work carries immense sentimental value for Dr Frank, the pivotal role this man has played in cultivating Newcastle into the place that it is today, is what makes the town so special to him.

At the onset of his career as a medical professional, Dr Frank was the first black doctor in the area. When he decided to adopt a more hands-on role in the movement of the nation toward democracy through political channels, Dr Frank became a member of the ANC. When the ANC was banned, he was one of the founding members of the IFP, but decided to join the DA after becoming disillusioned with the quarrelling between the ANC and the IFP.

At the height of his political career, Dr Frank became the first mayor of Madadeni. He then went on to hold the title as the first Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and also served as South Africa’s ambassador to Egypt.

On retiring from politics, Dr Frank spent a good many years as a member of the Rotary Club and is now looking into establishing a foundation that will alleviate poverty. He hopes this foundation will become the legacy that honours his memory long after he is gone.

“I have seen Newcastle grow from nothing. At first there were just fields here. When I was looking for the plot where I was to build my house, there was just a sticker in the field to identify where it was. When I began construction of house in Section 4, Madadeni, in 1972 there were absolutely no tarred roads, and no traffic lights here. Over the years, I have watched Newcastle, and Madadeni grow to what it is today. I have seen huge developments like Iscor put down roots, and with development I have also seen an increase in population growth and, yes, an escalation in crime,” said Dr Frank.

“What I have observed over the years that really makes Newcastle special, however, is a shift in the mindsets of people. In the 70s Madadeni was regarded as a township for ‘kaffirs’. Through the 90s people living in town started to realise that there were people living here. Today we are ever closer to realising our dream of being united as one Newcastle, where people come together, work together, and live together as human beings. Our boundaries are no longer defined by race. It is this that makes me proud to have been part of the growth of Newcastle.”

Over the years, Dr Frank has been actively involved in the opening of numerous schools in Madadeni and oSizweni. He has also been an honoured guest at the openings of several private establishments, such as Factory Plaza and the private hospital (now MediClinic).

“Another thing that makes Newcastle feel like home, is the familiarity and friendliness of the people,” he continues. “When I go to Mugg and Bean, for example, I am friends with the owners, Sue and Adrian Law, from our Rotary days, and it’s great to go there and catch up. They go to great lengths to make us feel at ease.

“Gordon Dowsett used to run a pharmacy in town. I remember when I first established my medical practice in Madadeni and I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to find a pharmacy that would believe that I was a real medical doctor, but I was gladly disappointed by Gordon who supplied all my medicine without question, and we have since become good friends.

“The owner of Jadwats was a teacher who fought alongside me in the struggle in early 50s and we also enjoy the opportunity to catch up when we bump into each other in town.

“Dr Ebrahim Seedat and I were classmates at medical school and, even though we became good friends, we could not visit each other when we came back to Newcastle because of the Group Areas Act. We were only able to get together at medical meetings and in hospitals. When he resigned as chairman of the Medical Association of Newcastle, he recommended me for the position.”

Dr Mdlalose concluded, “These are some of the special people I have met in Newcastle over the years and some of the reasons why my heart will always be here.”