HISTORY
This property was originally owned by Allan and Muriel Haworth the parents of the late Gerald and Daphne Haworth. The farm was in their family for over 50 years until it was purchased by the current owners Rusty and Diane Barnes, in 2015.
The original buildings on the property were erected for the use of a fertilizer depot for Fedmis fertilizers and a trading store for the local people in the area. The store was called Mambawu. The meaning of which was that you could buy traditional Zulu beer at it.
The sawmill was started by Gerald Haworth some 30 years ago who managed it for 20 odd years until he employed his great friend George Hutchison to come and manage it. George looked after the sawmill for about 10 years and only stopped work a short while before his passing in December 2018.
The current owners decided to start a hardware store in February 2017 and brought Mike Dovey in as a shareholder in the hardware store, with the sawmill running independently of each other.
CURRENT
The sawmill continues to cut structural pine timber for local low-cost housing. The timber is all WET OFF SAW and is untreated. Planks from 30years ago are still in homes of those early customers and are still in good condition.
The 3 main sizes are all 6m in length and the dimensions are 38 x 38; 38 x 114 and 50 x 76. These three sizes constitute 80% of the business.
Currently we service all of Zululand from Kwambonambi up to Mbazwana south down to Mandeni and west to Vryheid Nongoma area. This with our own trucks.
FUTURE
With the hardware now in full operation we have decided to concentrate from window level up. We carry a good range of windows, doors, roofing timbers (treated and untreated), double roman tiles, corrugated iron, ibr sheeting, columns, fencing materials, Duram paint and other items.