One of my passions is In flight Magazines. They tell you so much about a people as expressed in their flag carrier. Anyway, I was on South African Airways during my trips down south and my best article was about Tshaka. I have always marvelled about Tshaka the King of the amaZulus ever since I learnt about him in history and then watched his famous movie.
This post is as much about the February 2012 Sawubona as it is about the cab driver who dropped me at the airport. The short article was titled Many Things To Many People...King Shaka of the Zulus. I was surprised that he ruled only for 12 years...much less than his brothers, Dingane and Mpande. He was such an enigma that I had previously thought he had ruled for many more years. He even has an international airport named for him in Durban and full size statues of him abound. I wonder whether he marvels from where he is beyond the sea....
My cab driver although Xhosa, entertained me with stories about Tshaka. He said that the power behing Tshaka's throne was his general...who could turn battle fields into mists and hence defeat the enemy. Eventually, the General Mzilikazi fled with the Ndebele to present day Zimbabwe because Tshaka would have killed him. He then explained that Tshaka was like a Lion...who fed on his cubs. Apparently lions eat their male cubs to reduce the competition and Tshaka killed his sons or children for the same reason.
I guess there was so much treachery in the Royal Kraal as there is among the prides of lions....As Tshaka said....never leave a foe standing....or perhaps even a friend. He most probably was conversant with the Ides of March. Et tu Brutes? Julius Caesar quipped too late.
I do confess having an admiration for Tshaka kaSenzagakhona kaJama because he beat the odds.
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