WeeklySA_AdminSEASON: The award-winning ground-breaking series returns for an electrifying follow-up showing in June…
By Priscilla Malinga
After a captivating first season that captivated audiences, the landmark story of the great Zulu King Shaka continues with a new pulsating chapter.
The returning cast includes Nomzamo Mbatha, Wiseman Mncube, Dawn Thandeka King, Khabonina Qubeka makes a comeback as the power-driven Ntombazi, and Mondli Makhoba as the steadfast Ngomane. A multi-award-winning actress, King says she is looking forward to her portrayal uMkabayi ka Jama in the new season.
In an interview with WSAM, King says she still cannot come to terms with the thought of depicting a role that can belong to the great Mkabayi only.
Although her life is not properly documented, this is someone who was behind Shaka taking over the throne of the Zulu kingdom. Although King holds the role in high regard, she is not intimidated by it as putting herself under pressure would create an impression that the part is all about herself, which is hardly the case.
“Because this was part of history, I needed to do research but there is not much documented out there about Mkabayi,” she says. King says she had to use cultural and language advisers to understand who Mkabayi was and the role she played in the Zulu kingdom, which emphasises the imperative to portray the role with delicate understanding.
King says six years of research went into the production, so there is no room to improvise or of twisting of roles by twisting events. “At the end of the day the purpose is not to do a documentary, but to tell an entertaining story of true events, and the facts should not be compromised,” says King.
“Ndlunkulu Zwelithini agreed that we do the story as he saw the extent of research that was done prior. The story might not be as accurate as it took place but it is very close to the true events, and these sentiments were shared by Thembinkosi Mthembu who plays the character of Dingiswayo Gudungwane.
Gudungwane assisted Shaka’s mother with a place to hide after she was chased away at the Zulu Kingdom. “Getting a part to play Dingiswayo was very exciting for me, especially since I knew nothing about being a king as I am not from a royal family,” says Mthembu.
He says that his research involved watching kings and how they conduct themselves. These include how they address their subjects.
Bomb Productions played a vital role in making certain that he had all the information he needed to play the character with authenticity. Lemohang Tsipa who plays the main character, Shaka Zulu, says he is a “soft person” by nature, and how he was picked to play Shaka was due to a small production he previously did “back in the day”.
His agent introduced him to Angus Gibson and it was the first time playing a character which showed his “aggression transition”, and Angus Gibson, the producer, felt that was “very special”.
“Everyone has the potential to show things that are out of character, you just need to believe truly in yourself to unleash them,” says Tsipa.
Powerhouse actress Nomzamo Mbatha says she studies and researches a lot “to ace the character”. She felt under pressure and so needed a lot of help from different people to make sure she does not misrepresent such a loved character. She looked for people who were very close to past kings.
“Executive producer Nhlanhla Mtaka was incredible. He made sure all of us were portraying the characters correctly. “I was very intentional about the language she spoke, as I had to swap speaking Zulu from Umlazi into speaking Zulu that was spoken in the 1800s and the use of idioms,” says Mbatha, adding “it is no easy thing to do.”
“I had to take in how she walked and incorporate that into creating how people perceived her, as some had said that she was a slut because of how she walked and it’s not true.” Asked if she took other jobs while preparing for her role in the cast, Mbatha retorted she did not.
“That is how I showed respect for the historical role she played.” Wiseman Mncube says there is pressure in playing King Zwide and also research helped him to understand the role. “People will now think of me when they talk about King Zwide. They will only see my face,” he said.
Mbatha says he is thankful to the production and scriptwriters who are always available to assist the cast ship-shape their roles.
“One can only be thankful to the amazing crew and the calibre of actresses and actors, always supportive of each other, correcting each other’s mistakes, and above all we express our gratitude to the Bomb Productions for the opportunity granted to us.” Shaka iLembe Season 2 premieres on June 15 from 8pm on Mzansi Magic channel 161.
• If you have missed the first season, please tune in on Showmax (showmax.com) or catch up with the action on Mzansi Wethu (channel 163) at 9pm for Episodes 4 to 12. Please note that the episodes 1-3 are currently available on DStv Catch up
