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Isithangami Ngesikhathi Sombuso KaShaka (Colloquium on the King Shaka Era)
Article that appeared in the University of KwaZulu-Natal's publication, UKZN NdabaOnline:
Isithangami Ngesikhathi Sombuso KaShaka
I-Campbell Collections yaseNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal (i-UKZN) isanda kumenywa esiThangamini esidingida ngesikhathi sokubusa kweSilo uShaka eBandla Lodge e-Ballito.
Isimemo besivela kuMnu Nhlanhla Mtaka, owumhleli nomsunguli wephephandaba iBayede. I-Campbell Collections ibimelwe nguMnu Senzo Mkhize, iNhloko yakwa-Collections noNks Luleka Jakeni, ungoti wezindawo zokugcinwa kwamagugu omkhulu.
Lesi siThangami besiyingxenye yomkhankaso omkhulu wokubuyekeza ezinye izinto ngomlando wakwaZulu, ikakhulukazi umlando weSilo uShaka. UShaka ungomunye wamakhosi angesikhathi usomlando uSolwazi John D Omer-Cooper asibiza ngokuthi ngesokushintsha kwemibuso yabeNguni baseNyakatho. Ziningi izincwadi, amaphepha ocwaningo namafilimu okulandisa ngaye.
Enkulumweni yakhe, uSolwazi Simelane, oyisikhulu sokuphathwa komsebenzi eGunundu Holdings, uthe okuningi okubhalwe ngoShaka nangesizwe sakhe okunamaphutha nokuhlanekezelwa okuningi. Kokunye lokhu kungenxa yocwaningo olushaya eceleni kanti kwenye inkathi kwenziwa wumqondo wabacwaningi baseNtshonalanga noma abamhlophe. Umphumela walokhu wumlando ongakuvezi ukuthi abantu base-Afrika babenendlela yabo yokwenza izinto. Okukhulu kakhulu, wukuthi umlando wangesikhathi uShaka aqhamuka nayephila ngaso nowamenza wadlondlobala waze waba ngenye yamakhosi anamandla ayebusa eNingizimu ye-Afrika, awutolikiwe ngendlela efanele.
Nakuba izinjulalwazi zangaphambili, njenge njulalwazi ye-great man, okanye injulalwazi ye-self-made leader, kodwa manje osomlando sebeyavumelana ngokuthi abaholi bavela ngenxa yesikhathi abasuke bephila kuso. Inhloso yalesi sithangami bekuwukuqonda kangcono ukwenza kukaShaka neqhaza elibalulekile labanye abaholi njengoZwide wakwaNxumalo, uDingiswayo wakwaMthethwa, uBhungane wamaHlubi, uZihlandlo waseMbo. Isithangami sidingide nezinye izihloko ezimqoka eziningi ezithinta isimo senhlalo nezombusazwe nomnotho ngesikhathi sikaShaka.
UMkhize ukhulume ngesihloko esithi Information collection, preservation and dissemination in Shaka’s time, kwathi uNks Jakeni wakhombisa abantu imisebenzi yobuciko nezinto ezithinta umlando wangesikhathi sikaShaka okugcinwe e-Campbell Collections. Isilo samaBandla u-Goodwill Zwelithini ubeyisikhulumi esiqavile. Sichazekile ngezinto zomlando wakwaZulu nezincwadi zomlando wesizwe.
Amagama: NguSenzosenkosi Mkhize
UKZN NdabaOnline 18 July 2019 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 38
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English version of article:
Colloquium on the King Shaka Era
UKZN’s Campbell Collections was invited to participate in a Colloquium on Contextualising the Era of King Shaka Zulu at eBandla Lodge in Ballito recently.
The invitation was extended by Mr Nhlanhla Mtaka, the editor and founder of Bayede Newspaper. Campbell Collections was represented by Mr Senzo Mkhize, Head of Collections and Ms Luleka Jakeni, Senior Museologist.
The colloquium was part of a broader initiative to revisit and rewrite certain aspects of Zulu history, in particular the history of King Shaka Zulu. Shaka was one of the kings who emerged in the context of what historian, Professor John D Omer-Cooper referred to as the Northern Nguni political revolution. Several books, manuscripts, journal articles, and films have been produced on him.
In his address, Professor Hamilton Simelane, Igunundu Holdings COO, noted that most of the writing about Shaka and the society he lived in has been plagued by inaccuracies and misinterpretations. In some instances, this has been due to poor research while in others, to the general prejudices that have characterised most writing on Africa by Western scholars. The result is a historiography that does not fully recognise African agency. Most importantly, there is a lack of analysis of the context within which Shaka emerged and grew to become one of the most powerful leaders in southern Africa.
Despite previous theories, such as the great man theory, or self-made leader theory, historians now agree that leaders are mainly produced by the circumstance of the time. The main aim of the colloquium was thus to understand Shaka’s actions and achievements and the important part played by other great kings and leaders such as King Zwide of the AmaNxumalo Kingdom, King Dingiswayo of the Mthethwa Kingdom, King Bhungane of the AmaHlubi Kingdom, and King Zihlandlo Mkhize of the abaMbo Kingdom. The colloquium addressed many important topics on the socio-political and economic situation in Shaka’s time.
Mkhize delivered a paper on Information Collection, Preservation and Dissemination in Shaka’s Time, while Jakeni conducted a guided tour of the Campbell Collections museum artifacts and paintings of Shaka’s time. The Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini attended the colloquium as a guest speaker. He was very impressed by the Campbell Collections’ artifacts and Zulu history books.
Words: Senzosenkosi Mkhize
UKZN NdabaOnline 18 July 2019 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 38
