Online Reporter
Zimpapers Entertainment Correspondent
A MAJOR new stage production is set to bring one of Southern Africa’s most defining stories to Zimbabwe’s theatre audiences.
“MZILIKAZI: The General Who Defied Shaka Zulu” is a full-scale musical that traces the life of Mzilikazi ka Mashobane – from orphaned exile to founding king of the Ndebele nation.
The premiere of the play is set to coincide with the celebrations of the iconic king in September, 2027, while auditions are scheduled for this July/August.
It is the work of a team led by celebrated cultural artist and Executive Producer Albert Nyathi, with playwright Thabani Moyo leading in the development of the script.
The story centres on the moment Mzilikazi, a general in Shaka Zulu’s army, refused to surrender tributary cattle to the Zulu King.
That act of defiance triggered a migration across the savannah, a series of military engagements against Shaka’s elite uMbelebele regiments, and ultimately the founding of a new kingdom north of the Limpopo River.
The whole process became known as uMfecane, which saw Zwangendaba settling in Zambia, Soshangane in Mozambique and Queen Nyamazana in Zimbabwe.
“This is more than theatre; it is the preservation of the heartbeat of our ancestors,” said Nyathi.
“By staging the encounters between Mzilikazi and figures like the missionary Robert Moffat, we are ensuring that the complexities of our history are remembered with dignity and power.”
The production draws on authentic performance traditions.
Audiences will experience indlamu, isitshikitsha and amabhiza dance forms among many others, synchronised spear-and-shield choreography, and ritualistic storytelling drawn from oral heritage.
At its historical core, the musical explores how the Khumalo, Nzuza, and various Sotho-Tswana communities, the Tonga, the Venda, the Kalanga, the Nambya and many others, were forged into a single nation.
The production centres on Mzilikazi’s founding proclamation:
“We are now one people. No man shall look down on another. We are all AmaNdebele.”
The musical is a celebration of a rich cultural heritage while at the same time attempting to address certain historical misconceptions and misinformation.
The script was developed through a funded writeshop supported by Kingdom Blue Funeral Service, headed by Dr Brilliant Ncube. cultural historians and community leaders contributed to ensuring the narrative balances historical accuracy with the integrity of the Ndebele identity.
The full creative team includes Matesu Dube as Assistant Artistic Director, Beauty Ndlovu handling administration and logistics, Ezra Sibanda managing media and publicity, and Lenox Lizwi Mhlanga leading stakeholder relations.
