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24 September 2008

Protocol

We are assembled here today in KwaDukuza in the Ilembe district. It is in this district where, since 1824, King Shaka moved his headquarters from KwaBulawayo to the new KwaDukuza, the place where you easily got lost because of its size.

It is in this district where, on 17 April 1838, Prince Mpande led the armies of his brother King Dingane, in the battle of uThukela where he emerged victorious from a combination of Voortrekkers and Natal settlers. It was also in this district where, on 2 December 1856, the Battle of eNdondakusuka between Princes Cetshwayo and Mbuyazi took place. It was in this district where the British delivered the war ultimatum on 11 December 1878 and it was in this district where Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chief Albert Luthuli, lived and died on 21 July 1967.

We are indeed assembled, in the midst of history, to celebrate the most recognisable historical figure in the heritage of this province and country, King Shaka. This district is named appropriately after King Shaka, who was king of this province from 1816 to 1828. Shaka himself was renowned for naming places. He is accredited with naming Amanzimtoti and uThongathi rivers, among others. As king of the province he had palaces on both sides of the uThukela divide. In addition to KwaDukuza, he had the Palace of KwaKhangela right in the heart of present day Durban.

However, as a result of subsequent colonialism and apartheid, Shaka became the only King to have ruled over the borders which were almost the same as the current borders of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

His praises reflect Shaka's southern-most border where they say:

Inyath'ejame ngomkhonto phezu koMzimvubu Amampondo ayesaba nokuyehlela Nani bo Gambushe, nani bo Faku Ukuba nimhlabile, Koba senihlabe uPhunga Nahlaba no Mageba.

Shaka's borders, to the west, were the Drakensberg mountains, where in 1819 he attacked the amaHlubi, who joined the kingdom by availing their key regiment, Iziyendane. The regiment who carried red shields were called iziYendane because as amaHlubi they wore long hair.

The borders to the north were at uSuthu and into Mabhuda and the Indian Ocean. As I have said, this is almost the same geographic territory as the present day KwaZulu-Natal.

Of course, the next king to rule over the same size of territory as King Shaka is our current King, His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, who was formally recognized by the democratic government with the passing of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Act in 2005 by the Provincial Legislature. Bayede!

This year marks 180 years since the death of King Shaka. It is a year which ends with the magical number eight. As we ponder through the history of our king, we now recall some of the historical incidents which happened during the years ending with the number eight, some of which changed the course of the history of this region and province.

It was in 1818 when King Shaka, who had been raised by inKosi Dingiswayo kaJobe of the Mthethwa, finally defeated the powerful Zwide of the Ndwandwe, thus laying a firm foundation for the Kingdom of the Zulu. From then on Shaka defeated anything and any enemy in front of him.

However, as it happens to all mortals, Ilembe was surpassed by death on 24 September 1828. His death ended an epoch of expedition, conquest and consolidation. Temporarily, brother turned against brother, fear and suspicion ran abound. Ten years after the death of King Shaka the conflict of 1838 began.

On 11 December 1878, the leadership of the Zulu Kingdom was assembled by John Shepstone to the banks of uThukela River, under the pretext that the outcome of the border dispute around Utrecht was to be delivered. That was done but Shepstone added the now infamous War Ultimatum.

On 21 June in 1888 King Dinuzulu became the first Zulu King to deliver a Christian Prayer. Following this he was jailed and exiled to St Helena. He returned in January 1898, the year Chief Albert Luthuli was born. However, King Dinuzulu was again arrested and tried in 1908 thus becoming the first Zulu King to be tried and jailed under colonial rule, twice.

In 1918 Nelson Mandela was born, and we all know that he was to live by the principles which brought our liberation in 1994. In 1948, His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini was born. Of course, in 1968 His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini's father, King Cyprian, passed on.

Much in history can be said about the years which end with the number eight. But it all started with Shaka's defeat of Zwide in 1818.

Global fame
King Shaka's entire period of 12 years as king was underlined by his project to promote nationhood, heritage, identity and social cohesion. He rose from the back drop of a life of almost obscurity and grew in stature to become one of the most recognisable human icons of the 19th century.

Books and dissertations have been written about him all over the world. Films, musicals, songs, theatre productions have been produced about him all over the world. To date, his name commands dignity and respect, everywhere, be it in KwaDukuza, New York, London, Moscow or Beijing.
King Shaka remains at the centre of any story about the Zulu people and the people of KwaZulu-Natal.

Shaka on the social system
The social and political system which Shaka created in 12 years entrenched positive social values, which were very compatible with those found in the book of Exodus 20 in the Bible, the core of which are, Thou shall not kill, thou shall not commit adultery and thou shall not steal, Ungabulali, ungaphingi, ungebi.

Shaka on leadership
Shaka held triumphant leadership in high esteem. He was famed for handsomely awarding those who excel in leadership and in the various tasks that have been assigned to them. His military innovations made a big impact on Zulu traditions and folklore.

He distributed power to regional izikhulu, izinduna, army generals, regiments and homesteads thus making everyone to own the symbols of nationhood, heritage, identity and social cohesion. He instilled national pride and identity.

Similarly, we should learn from the traditions of stoicism and loyalty left by Shaka's commanders such as Mdlaka ka Ncindi, Ndlela ka Sompisi and others who came after Nongalaza ka Nondela Mnyandu, Ntshingwayo ka Mahole Khoza, Mnyamana ka Ngqengelele Buthelezi, Mavumengwana ka Ndlela Ntuli, Somopho ka Zikhala Mthembu, Zibhebhu ka Maphitha ka Sojiyisa Zulu, Prince Dabulamanzi ka Mpande, Prince Ziwedu ka Mpande, Prince Ndabuko ka Mpande, Prince Shingana, ka Mpande, Prince Mbilini ka Mswati, Mankulumana ka Somaphunga ka Zwide ka Langa. We should keep the achievements of these great leaders in our pre-colonial history, so that our people can be reconnected with greatness through loyalty to the greater course.

Shaka had a deep respect for his mother, Nandi, and his aunts, princesses Mkabayi, Mmama and Nomawa. He gave all of King Senzangakhona's wives his respect. This is notable in his relations with Queen Langazane, the Queen of eSiklebheni.
His era saw the rise of women leaders such as Mthaniya, Mkabayi and later KaMsweli. He therefore was instrumental in creating a tradition in which women are respected, equally with men, as achievers and leaders in society.

Reception of the whites
In June 1824 three white men, namely Lieutenant Francis Farewell, Henry Fynn and Peterson, arrived in KwaBulawayo for the first meeting ever between a Zulu King and white people. In his diary Fynn estimated that some 80 000 people assembled at KwaBulawayo to welcome the white entourage. Among these were an estimated 10 000 girls of the women's regiments. An ijadu or music and dance festival was opened.

According to author Stephen Taylor in his book, Shaka's Children a History of the Zulu people, published in 1994, Fynn wrote in his diary that, "It was a most exciting scene, surprising to us, who could not have imagined that a nation termed "savages" could be so disciplined and kept in order." Such was the character of the Zulu people under Shaka they were disciplined and orderly.

Of course, one of the basic motives of white people arriving in KwaBulawayo was trade and commerce. Francis Farewell, for example, had put his eyes on ivory trade with Shaka. It was a meeting of people, the one, a King others, traders. There was no sense of superiority or inferiority because of race. Shaka became interested in the fact that they also had a King, King George.

In May 1828, Shaka sent a diplomatic mission to King George V of England. It was led by Sotobe ka Mphangalala of the Sibiya and consisted of Mbozamboza, interpreter Jakot, Nathaniel Isaacs and James King. The aim of the mission was to establish a treaty of friendship with the British.

The Role of Dingiswayo kaJobe
King Shaka did not rise to power because of his own personal genius only. Tribute should be paid to his mentor, Inkosi Dingiswayo kaJobe of the Mthethwa, who identified Shaka's strengths and nurtured them.

Policy and legislation
Heritage is at the core of our identity and plays a pivotal role in reconciliation. To reconcile is to come to peace with the past. You cannot reconcile unless you know what happened.

Since 2004 the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government concluded several Heritage Projects including:

* The commemoration of the 1906 Bhambatha Uprisings (2006)
* The commemoration of the inception of Mahatma Ghandi's Satyagraha (2006)
* Bringing home the remains of Moses Mabhida (2006)
* Commemoration of Maqhamusela Khanyile (2007)
* The commemoration of the death of Chief Albert Luthuli (40 years in 2007)
* The construction and unveiling of the grave of Princess Mkabayi (2007)
* The commemoration of Queen Nandi (2008) and
* The unveiling of the statue of King Dinuzulu (2008).

Future heritage projects in KwaZulu-Natal include:
* We will later this year be recognising Inkosi Dingiswayo kaJobe.
* We will also recognise the legacy of King Dingane, "uMalamulela owalamulela izintombi nezinsizwa".
* A multi media centre which depicts the history of eMakhosini valley is currently under construction.
* Another, more informative and generic, multi media centre is to be built as part of the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban.
* During December we will unpack the British Ultimatum of 11 December, 1878.
* We have begun with research and consultations about commemorating the heritage of eMbo, wherein the Abambo people of Mkhize and their kings have a direct linkage with the eMbo region in Central Africa, from whence they came.
* We will erect a statue in honour of His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini and another in honour of His Father, King Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon, kaDinuzulu.
* 2009 marks 130 years since the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879

Soon after the annexation of Zululand by Britain in 1887, the Governor of Zululand, Arthur Havelock, arranged for an interview with the King set for 14 November of that year. In this encounter King Dinuzulu told Havelock that he (Dinuzulu), and not the Queen, was the rightful ruler of Zululand and successor to Kings Shaka, Dingane, Mpande and Cetshwayo.

To this Havelock provokingly replied
"Such a thing is now impossible. Dinuzulu must know and all the Zulus must know that the rule of the House of Shaka is a thing of the past. It is dead. It is like water spilt on the ground. The Queen now rules in Zululand and no one else."

Today, 121 years later, we assembled to say that Arthur Havelock was wrong. Indeed, through you Bayede and the people gathered in front of you, the rule of the House of Shaka is a thing of today and the future. The Queen does not rule KwaZulu-Natal. The commemoration of King Shaka should serve as an inspiration to us all.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
24 September 2008