Today we lost King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, King of the Zulu Nation. He reigned for close to 50 years and has been my King for my entire life.
Yes, I said my King because as umZulu I recognised him as one. Growing up though I didn’t take much into it, who is the King of the Zulu Nation, where aboMazibuko come from and our history as a tribe and clan.
But the more I grew up and got more connected to the world but also start asking questions about our identity and meaning of life, the whole nine. Who I am as a Zulu man become important to me, with social media and globalization that seems to connect us more into one identity, keeping mine has became important.
Today we lost a great symbol of who we are as a nation and as a people. King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu was the son of Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon was the son of Nkayishana Maphumzana ‘Phumuzuzulu’ Solomon kaDinuzulu who succeeded his father Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo with Dinuzulu been the son of Cetshwayo kaMpande who famously led the Zulu nation to victory against the British in the Battle of Isandlwana.
Cetshwayo was the son of then of Mpande kaSenzangakhona who was half brother of the legendary Shaka, the largest figure in the history of the Zulu Kingdom, military genius and uniter of the Kingdom. This is the recent and modern history of our people and the late King Zwelithini represented direct a lineage and connection to all of it.
Lala ngoxolo Silo Samabandla
Brief and precise.