Date of birth : 4th May, 1978
Place of birth : Enkonjeni Hospital (Ulundi)
Favourite Sport: Tennis
Car of Choice: Land Rover Discovery
Star Sign: Taurus
Marital Status: Single
Favourite Hobby: Reading
HRH Prince Shingana Zulu, son of King Mpande Zulu from Queen Jinji Shwabede. Queen Jinji was born at Indulinde from Kwamfemfe.
It was after an instruction of King Mpande that the Amabutho (warriors) were sent to look for the Queen to be brought back to the Palace before the King to give an account of their arrogance. On arrival, these warriors discovered that amabutho had found her in the process of giving birth at Kwamfemfe Royal Kraal. She had just given birth to the Zulu Prince Shingana. When King Mpande heard the news of the newborn, he decided to name the young Prince 'Shingana' a Zulu name meaning "Fearless and Victorious One". So it was that the Prince lived the meaning of his name. He became very great and excelled in fighting and hunting. It was this Prince that fought for King Cetshwayo's return to Ondini Royal Palace. The Prince was also greatly victorious at Isandlwana as he withheld the might of the British Troops. What is most interesting is that at that time, King Dinizulu was King.
As the senior prince, he guided the Zulu Kingdom through a rough era during which the Zulu monarchy experienced great difficulties. A number of times he was almost assassinated for being too loyal to the Kingdom! It is easy to believe that the Zulu Kingdom would never have been the same without his existence. Sadly, his contribution to our rich Zulu heritage remains ignored. He was indeed a true Zulu warrior and a force to reckon with for his bravery in battlefields. He was just as brave as his his uncle King Shaka Zulu who forged the Zulu nation with a spear (Iklwa). He experienced many depressing and challenging times from early childhood till his being exiled to St Helena. HRH Prince Shingana Zulu also gave birth to Prince Basekele Zulu who in turn gave birth to Prince Ntokozo Zulu. It is his royal highness Prince Ntokozo Zulu who gave birth to Prince Africa Zulu, the late Prince Sifiso Zulu, Prince Thomas Zulu, Prince Kwenzokuhle Goodman Zulu, Princess Nonhlanhla, the late Princess Sylvestra Zulu, Princess Zinhle Zulu and Princess Fikile Zulu. Prince Ntokozo married Princess Bonita Zulu, who is a mother to all the children above. Prince Ntokozo Zulu is survived by his wife. Prince Africa Zulu has no children as he is not yet married. He now lives in Umhlanga Ridge, Durban. The above are the true descendants of Prince Shingana Zulu. Prince Africa Zulu has visited most of the countries in Europe, including Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Hungary and Great Britain and has also visited the United States. He has made friends around the world and his success in business is attributed perhaps mainly to his humility.
He was born at Onkweni, which is not too far from Ondini. He played tennis as a boy with his late uncle Prince Gideon Zulu of KwaMinya. Later, he left for the University of Natal in Durban to Study Politics and Sociology. He now spends his time attending to his various social responsibilities and businesses. As a young Prince, he was very close to his late father Prince Ntokozo Zulu. The passing away of his father has made Prince Africa stronger, and he still visits all his father’s friends and enjoys the habits his father loved.
HRH Prince Shingana kaMpande is the least celebrated hero (forgotten), statesman and a political diplomat of his time in the history of the Zulu Nation and of the world. He was a Royal Prince as he was the son of King Mpande kaSenzangakhona Zulu. He was the first Prince to be placed Prince of Onkweni by his father King Mpande who ruled the Zulu Nation after King Shaka and King Dingane.
He grew up like all young Zulu Nation boys, herding goats and Royal cattle, swimming in the local rivers and also hunting for rabbits. When the boys were together while herding their Fathers cattle they would want to test each other's strength and skills in stick fighting. HRH Prince Shingana Zulu would always prove himself to be more than capable of fending off his adversaries from his peer age group by paring off their blows and counter that by giving them a good hiding where it hurts most. This was common to the boys of that era because the skill they acquired in these “faked” fights was prepared them for the future in which their father “the Zulu King” would call upon them to be regiments that would defend their nation.
These faked fights would make a young Zulu to be strong, be capable of defending himself and not be afraid of an adversary, be it a wild animal or another human-being and not to fear pain as a result of injuries. This was the school from which Prince Shingana Zulu kaMpande graduated; with flying colors when one considers his exploits, later on in his life, in the arena of war.
The graves of mercenaries at Hlophekhulu, South-east of the present day town of Ulundi, are monuments of his hands and testimony of what Prince Shingana kaMpande could unleash to those who dare challenge and invade the Zulu Kingdom, just to give one of many examples for which the history is yet to be told and statue to be erected in remembrance of this hero and statesman. During this battle, this warrior and war general was not watching from the distance but was physically active in the battle field like his uncle King Shaka Zulu founder of the Zulu nation and the most of those whose remains are lying in the graves at Hlophekhulu were shot and killed by him.
It is said that this battle started in the morning and when the sun was about to set Prince Shingana and all those who were carrying guns had exhausted the mercenaries and when the mercenaries started to retreat he unleashed upon them a fresh regiment with spears and shields to finish them off. This regiment was deliberately kept in hiding as a war strategy by Prince Shingana who wanted to charge first with those who were carrying guns like him until mercenaries were tired and unleash the last blow with a regiment carrying spears.
Prince Shingana was a loyal royalist and he was a good friend and confidante of King Cetshwayo kaMpande who became a king after the death of his father, King Mpande kaSenzangakhona Zulu. King Cetshwayo did not rule for a long time and the war broke out between the Zulu Nation and the British colonialist in January 1879, at iSandlwana. The King had advisers on how to handle and respond to provocations from the English colonialists who wanted the all- white cattle (Inyoni kayiphumuli) of the Royal Kraal which was first bred by King Shaka. King Cetshwayo formed a military cabinet to address the war threatening situation caused by unreasonable demands by the colonialists.
Among the senior respected elders such as Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza, war generals such as Mkhosana Biyela (who was the Chief of Staff of uKhandempemvu Regiment and the Chief-General of the Zulu military forces at iSandlwana, he died on the battle field) Matshana kaJobe Sithole (Chief of Staff of uFasimba Regiment) the Royal Family was represented among others by diplomats such as Prince Shingana. The decision to go to war at ISandlwana was taken by this War Cabinet who also formulated the war strategy to beat the English colonialists. The battle plan was completely implemented by the war practitioners such as Prince Shingana kaMpande and the English soldiers were routed and those who managed to flee ran like a person possessed by evil spirits until they hid in the lagger at Tugela Fery, and in hot pursuit was the young regiment of Ngobamakhosi who also made some killings.
At iSandlwana, Prince Shingana led those forces who were armed with guns and they formed the breast and main thrust of the army. The army carrying shields and spears surrounded the colonialist and started stabbing and killing them from behind. When they charged towards the English they were instructed to behave like sea waves, those in front will fall down to allow those coming from behind to charge forward and this would be repeated until they were close enough to annihilate the English invaders.
The final attack on Ulundi by the English in July 1879, saw Prince Shingana in action again defending his nation against foreigners. The British won but they suffered loses in terms of number of their soldiers who died that day. The monument at Ulundi, next to Ulundi Airport, is the reminder of graves for those who were hell bent on destroying the Zulu Nation. King Cetshwayo was arrested at Ngome Forest and was sent to Ou de Mollen castle prison in Cape Town and was released after he had had a meeting with the English Queen in England. When he came back he was attacked by a rebel, Prnce Zibhebhu ka Maphitha Zulu of Mandlakazi together with rebel Prince Hamu kaMpande Zulu of Ngenetsheni who decided to collaborate with the English in an effort to destroy the Zulu Royal Family and the Zulu Nation because the English were scared of the strong united Zulus. The King died while in hiding at Nkandla Forest and is lying there interred.
Prince Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo kaMpande had to assume kingship while he was still young, at the age of about 16 years. His father’s brothers decided to revenge what Prince Zibhebhu had done to the late king Cetshwayo. At first Zibhebhu was victorious but that was not to last very long because he was attacked and defeated at Tshaneni and Msebe and his homestead was destroyed, wives, children and cattle taken away. He sought protection from the English at Eshowe. HRH Prince Shingana was present to lend support to the young prince in times of difficulty because he was an experienced war veteran, a friend and confidante of his nephew the late king Dinizulu.
The English tried to bribe Prince Shingana by offering a stipend if he renounced war and reconcile with Prince Zibhebhu of Mandlakazi who attacked and killed many dignitaries at Ulundi Royal Kraal who had come to pass their greetings to King Cetshwayo kaMpande when he came back from prison and exile. Prince Shingana took all money (pounds) into a container (isitsha) and instructed one of his servants to bring the container with him and started to throw and scatter everything into the tall grass saying he could not sell his forefathers land for money. He also accompanied young Prince Dinuzulu when he went to attack the Boers and pressured of the English who were at war with the Boers at that time.
He was charged with treason together with Prince Dinuzulu at Mgungundlovana (Grey town) and was sent into exile at St. Hellena Island. Prince Shingana would not compromise his loyalty and respect for the Zulu Kingdom that is why at his ripe age he was still prepared to defend it to death if necessary. The English missionaries persuaded Prince Shingana to soften his stance on politics and accept the new order of the many so called “chiefs” imposed on the Zulu Nation by English colonialist after the invasion of Ulundi and defeat of the Zulu armed forces, which he was part of and a leading military general.
The Missionaries also requested him to accept Christianity which he refused. Much late after a long time of persuasions, he promised to consult his family first about his adoption of Christianity norms and values which he considered to be foreign and a practice for the weaklings not hardened veterans like himself, after all it had no meaning to him. The family also persuaded him to relent and pretend to be accepting the white man's religion and was therefore baptized at the Catholic Church as Prince Wilbard Shingana kaMpande Zulu.
His land until this day remains in the hands of those Chiefs whom he entrusted with when he left for exile (1882) at Emanzimtoti After shooting a British Magistrate. Some of his land includes Ulundi (Where there is a game reserve), Babango (where there are lot of timber farms), Hlophekhulu (where there is a rock which protected him during the battle against the British) also there is a coal mine today called Okhukhu mine.
This land which is still ruled by descendeds of his Induna that he appointed before he went to exile HRH Prince Africa is Great grandson of HRH Prince Shingana Zulu and the Senior Prince of this House-(Onkweni).