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historyUnveiling ofKing Dinuzulu's Statue34Article and photo by WO1 MannyGounden, PRO Naval StationDurbanThe Premier of KwaZulu-Natal,Mr Sibusiso Ndebele,unveiled the statue of KingDinuzulu in a heavy downpourand freezing cold atBotha's Garden in Durban on20 September 2008. It was oneof the highlights of the 2008 KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Programme.Parts of KwaZulu-Natal weretransformed into a "winter wonderland"after snowfalls blanketed severalareas of the province. Temperaturesplummeted into the low teens asDurban experienced its coldestSeptember in recorded history.However, the extremely cold andrainy weather did not dampen theunveiling ceremony or the attendance.The Chief of the SANDF appointedthe Chief of the SA Army as the ChiefExecutor to provide ceremonial, logisticand technical support for this historicevent. Representing the Chief ofthe SA Army was Brig Gen RobertMandisa, the General Officer CommandingSA Army SupportFormation.The assembled guests also witnessedthe Mayor of eThekwini Metro(Durban), Councillor Obed Mlaba,rename Berea Road as King DinuzuluRoad in honour of the king.Premier Ndebele in his addresssaid: "The statue of King Dinuzulu is aunique statue that symbolises nationbuildingand national reconciliation.The unveiling of the statue of KingDinuzulu therefore affords us all anopportunity to take a deep look at ourcollective past and what it can do toshape our present and the future. Weare telling the story of the Zulu peopleand the people of KwaZulu-Natal."S A S O L D I E R • NO VEMB ER 2 0 0 8SANDF'S ROLEThe National Ceremonial Guard ledby the SA Army Band of Durbanformed up and marched along BereaRoad. They drew tumultuous applausesfrom the crowd in heavy raincoats andsheltering under umbrellas. Historywas in the making and not even thisbleak weather was going to keep thecrowd away.The National Ceremonial Guardand the SA Army Band conductedthemselves on parade in a manner befittinga well-disciplined and professionalmilitary force.Logan Maistry, the Premier'sspokesperson, said: "The presence ofthe SANDF here today is really appreciated.The spectacular display by theNational Ceremonial Guard and the SAArmy Band added to the success of theunveiling ceremony. It was also anopportunity for the people of KwaZulu-Natal to witness the support that isbeing received from the SANDF today."Chaplain Mabandla Nkayi fromArmy Support Base KwaZulu-Natal,who did the opening prayer, spoke withdeep conviction of the significance ofthis event and the recognition of the historythe Zulu people.KING DINUZULUThe story of King Dinuzulu is astory of courage, determination andsocio-political transformation. He was aking who experienced it all, but whokept on fighting for the dignity of hispeople, their land and the royal house.King Dinuzulu was born in 1868. Hebecame the King of the Zulus in May1884 following the death of his father,King Cetshwayo, in February of thesame year. During his time KingDinuzulu was known as "the modernisingking". The historian, Prof JeffGuy, wrote in his book "A View fromAcross the River" that King Dinuzulustraddled the traditional Zulu andmodern African essence of being anAfrican. The ceremony was the culminationof years of research, consultationand the implementation of thelegacy of a man that Harriett Colensoonce described as "walking this earthas if he owns it". Such was KingDinuzulu - fearless, majestic andalways reaching out.SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICAThere were global issues at play.Dinuzulu ascended the throne in 1884and, unbeknown to him, he steppedinto these. The superpowers of the timemet in Brussels to stage the biggestcolonial scramble for land.By 1885, a microcosm of theBrussels Conference took place inZululand, with the Boers, the Germansand the British all claiming land inZululand. The scramble for Zululandwas made worse by the Zulu civil warof 1884-1888 between uSuthu andMandlakazi, when brother had turnedagainst brother. Berlin and London hadthemselves taken a keen interest in thescramble for Zululand by 1886. SoDinuzulu got attacked from all quarters.He had to spend his time defendingwhatever remained of the legacy ofKing Shaka. He was humiliated manytimes by the British authorities, especiallyGovernor Arthur Havelock. On 9November 1887 Havelock had a conferencewith the king. As the king wastelling him that he was the rightful successorto the throne of Shaka's kingdom,Havelock simply replied: "Such athing is now impossible. Dinzulu mustknow and all Zulus must know that therule of the House of Shaka is a thing ofthe past".The reconciliatory tone of KingCetshwayo was met by resistance andmissed opportunities by the British andthe colonial authorities in Natal, who
During the singing of the National Anthem, fltr: The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr S'bu Ndebele, King GoodwillZwelithini and Col Godfrey Nethidongololo, Officer Commanding GSB Ladysmith, with King Dinuzulu's statue in thebackground.saw no road to reconciliation. They didnot recognise Dinuzulu, and neitherdid the successive colonial, union andapartheid governments recognise anyZulu king until the democratic governmentdid so, broadly from 1994.The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Governmentspecifically did so in 2005with the passing of the TraditionalLeadership and Governance Act.THE COLENSO SISTERSDinuzulu was diplomatic despiteall the insults and kept his optionsopen. He availed himself of diplomaticmissions to the Boers of the NewRepublic led by Lucas Meyer inVryheid, despite the fact that the Boershad grabbed land at eMakhosini, thecradle of Zulu history. Dinuzulu was apatient and respectful politician. Hecontinued to show respect for theEnglish and had the unwavering supportof the women of Bishopstowe, vizthe Colenso sisters Harriett, Agnes andFrances.The Colonso family forms a permanentfeature of the story of the Zulupeople and the people of KwaZulu-Natal. They are proof that it is dangerousto define society and politicsaccording to racial stereotypes. InDinuzulu's struggle it was not blackagainst whites. It was more the politicsof alignment based on principles.FIRST ARRESTIn 1888, after Zululand had beenannexed after the Zulu civil war,Dinuzulu was arrested. Now a convertedChristian, Dinuzulu was tried andsentenced for treason. A period inimprisonment on St Helena followed.The St Helena years of course wereyears of mass transformation on the partof the king in particular and Zulu societyin general. The king exchanged traditionalgarb for suits, learned to read,write and play the piano and becameorientated to more collaboration withthe amakholwa communities, prominentamong whom were the likes of DrJohn Langalibalele Dube, Magema Fuzeka Magwaza, the Colenso sisters and DrPixely ka Isaka Seme.SECOND ARRESTA poll tax was imposed in 1905 andBhambatha and many others rebelledagainst it. In 1906 Dinuzulu was againimplicated. He was arrested inDecember 1907 and tried in 1908 in anunfair trial. He was sentenced to aheavy fine and four years' imprisonment.KING DINUZULU'S DEATHIn 1910 the Union of South Africawas born and General Botha became itsfirst Prime Minister. One of his first actswas to release the king from prison. Hesent him into exile to Middelburg inthe then Transvaal (now Mpumalanga)where he died on 18 April 1913 at theage of 45. On his deathbed he said:"Bury me with my fathers at Nobamba",which wish was honoured. Whileit can be argued that General Botha'sact of releasing King Dinuzulu fromprison in 1910 was based on a priorfriendship, it did in fact set the tone forfuture race relations in South Africa.THE STATUEThe statue is meant to give recognitionto traditional leadership by thedemocratic government in generaland, in particular, recognition of a kingwho saw and experienced it all, butkept on fighting for the dignity of hispeople, their land and the royal house -the House of Shaka. The two statuesface one another in Botha's Garden -two giants in our history.CONCLUSIONThe road to reconciliation is longand winding. It constitutes getting toknow the past, and understandingwhat happened, how it happened, whydid it happen, when it happened andwho did it.* Acknowledgement: This article wasresearched with assistance from thePremier's Office, KwaZulu-Natal.NO VEMB ER 2 0 0 8 • S A S O L D I E R35
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