King MisuZulu vows to defend Zulu land legacy at Shaka statue unveiling
A towering 13-metre statue of King Shaka was unveiled at King Shaka International Airport.
King MisuZulu KaZwelithini has vowed to protect the land of the Zulu nation for as long as he lives.
Speaking at the unveiling of a towering 13-metre statue of King Shaka at the King Shaka International Airport last Thursday, he underscored the foundational role that land plays in the Zulu identity, referencing teachings from the legendary King Shaka himself.
“The king is nothing without land, and people are nothing without land. Land is our home, the place where we are born and raised. It is the source of our food, the pasture for our livestock and the final resting place for the bones of our ancestors,” said King MisuZulu.
According to Daily Maverick, in May, the king accused the government of attempting to undermine his authority by weakening traditional leadership, which he believes is intended to defraud the Zulu people of their land.
He threatened to take the government to the International Court of Justice, expressing feelings of being undermined as he is required to “account to government officials on matters regarding his land.”
Photo: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS.
As the sole trustee of the Ingonyama Trust, the king oversees about 2.8 million hectares of communal land in KZN. The trust was established in 1994 to safeguard Zulu land rights.
The unveiling was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Premier Thami Ntuli, ministers and other dignitaries.
This marked the conclusion of a 14-year journey to erect the statue, with the original version, completed in 2020, being rejected by the late King Goodwill Zwelithini for not reflecting King Shaka’s warrior image.
The new statue is believed to have cost between R4.5-million and R8-million, compared to the initial R3.2-million.
President Ramaphosa praised King Shaka as a unifier and visionary, remarking that although colonial narratives once suppressed his story, future generations could now embrace and celebrate it.
He encouraged the youth to take pride in their heritage, asserting that, “Long before we fought for our liberation from apartheid rule, there were great warrior kings and queens who resisted colonial invaders.”
He added that since democracy, South Africa has worked to restore pride in a more inclusive history, focusing on shared stories rather than narratives rooted in colonial glorification.
He said there is no place in a free South Africa for glorifying symbols, names and events based on its people’s pain.
“A statue such as the one we are unveiling today represents not just a great individual, but a history, a value system, and the aspirations of a people,” said Ramaphosa.
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