Ancient Construction Innovations in Zululand
(This article has been printed in the Zambian Traveller)
by George Irwin

The Umzinyathi District of KwaZulu-Natal is one of the poorest in South Africa. It is home to the battlefields of the Anglo-Zulu War and the opening engagement of the Second Anglo-Boer War. With near cultic regularity, tens of thousands of tourists flock to these famous sites each year. As they bounce, rattle and weave along the region’s infamous dirt roads, eyes glued on the distant, iconic landmark of the mountain of Isandlwana, they will pass by one of the most unique structures in the southern hemisphere: a new classroom block at Buhlebamangwe Primary School.

The sight of a new classroom would not normally warrant much attention, particularly given the draw of the nearby battlefields. However, the new building at Buhlebamangwe is the largest rammed earth structure south of the equator. Built by the David Rattray Foundation to replace collapsing government-built classrooms, the new rammed earth structure covers an area of 350 square metres. In itself this may not seem particularly remarkable, but when you consider that it was built using a mix of 80% locally dug soil, 15% building sand and 5% cement and that not a single piece of machinery was used, the importance of the example set by this structure begins to emerge.

The method of building rammed earth structures is not a new one, nor is it very complicated. A metal framework is produced in the shape of the structure’s wall; in this case, the new building features long, curved walls. There is not a corner or straight line in sight. The framework consists of twelve easily portable pieces which are bolted together over the normal concrete foundation. This creates a wall-width channel into which the mix of soil, sand and cement is poured. The mixture is then manually rammed and flattened using a flat-bottomed, weighted pole. As the walls progress, so the framework is moved along. The process is extremely labour intensive, which is why it is no longer a common building method in the economically developed world. In rural Zululand, this is what makes rammed earth construction so beneficial.

The David Rattray Foundation is an organisation which aims to improve the education of children in the area around the battlefields of the Anglo-Zulu War. The Foundation has built numerous classrooms, electrified schools and provided teacher-training. The idea of using the rammed earth construction method did not come about until 2008 when the then Chairman of the Foundation – Rob Taylor – met a specialist South African builder called Mike Beukes. Beukes had already begun to research rammed earth construction and how it could be applied today when he was put in touch with the David Rattray Foundation. The benefits of the method to the non-profit world were immediately obvious. “It was a match made in heaven,” said Beukes.

For a charitable organisation, cost is obviously a major consideration; a rammed earth structure costs roughly one third that of a similar-sized building constructed using modern methods. The labour-intensive and un-skilled nature of the method allows members of the local community to get involved in the project. This not only provides much-needed employment, but also gives the community a strong sense of ownership of the building, as well as a direct involvement in their children’s education. For many, it also means the opportunity to learn a new skill which they can teach to others and which they can use to help establish their own construction business. As a direct result of the employment of local labour at Buhlebamangwe, six young men have gained formal diplomas in business and construction and have created their own business constructing rammed earth buildings throughout Zululand.

Living in a small hut rented from the local community, Beukes oversaw nearly every day of work on the new classroom. “At first, I was very hands-on and things progressed slowly, but once the guys and girls learnt the process, I was less and less involved. Eventually, I was completely redundant.” Beukes is now overseeing three separate building sites on behalf of the Foundation in the area around Isandlwana. Each site employs between twenty and thirty members of the community. In less than six months, Buhlebamangwe will no longer have the largest rammed earth structure in the southern hemisphere; that accolade will belong to Mampunga Primary School. As you drive towards Isandlwana, bouncing and weaving, look out for it off to your right.