A lot has been said about Shaka Zulu. When it comes to sorting fact from fiction, Doctor Maxwell Zakhele Shamase is an authority. Together with Mthandeni Patrick Mbatha, the historian from the University of Zululand is currently writing a book about the man behind the legend.
DW: Why write a book about Shaka Zulu?
Maxwell Shamase: There is very little that has been written about King Shaka from the African perspective. Some of the things written by non-Africans are factually incorrect. We want to tell the story from an African position.
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How would you describe King Shaka?
Before Shaka was born, a prophetess by the name Sithayi, prophesied that ‘a child will be born who will bring about a new order and a new nation.' He was a military genius in Africa. He was a nation builder and not a blood thirsty killer. He was not a ruthless assassin.