FRED KHUMALO: Why King Zwelithini’s legacy matters
King Zwelithini’s legacy does not warm my heart, but there’s no denying the achievements of his warrior forebears
24 March 2021 - 08:00
King Goodwill Zwelithini has already been buried, but debates about his legacy are just hotting up. Some nonZulus have been surprised and others angered by the attention his death received. Why, they ask, was he honoured with a state funeral while Pedi King Victor Thulare III, who died on January 6, received scant attention in the media?
Perhaps the answer lies in history. Put emotions aside for a moment and consider this: King Zwelithini’s great-great-grandfather, King Cetshwayo, was the first "uncivilised" king to defeat the mighty British — at the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879...
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