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Last week, the actors and crew of Shaka Ilembe supposedly went to Queen Nandi’s grave without permission. According to Daily Sun reporting, they did obtain permission to visit the tomb from a family member.
Mbhengi Mhlongo reportedly told the publication that he was the one who provided them permission to visit Queen Nandi’s burial.
“I am Reacting to the news that Nomzamo Mbatha and Shaka Ilembe crew invited themselves to Queen Nandi’s grave. That is not true. I’m the one who invited the Shaka Ilembe crew. They did not invite themselves as alleged. I wanted them to be there with us,” he said as quoted by the publication.
They then presented the letter they had written to invite the team to the commemorative service.
In the previous report, Inkosi Mshazi Nzuza lambasted the team, claiming they were entering the burial without the family’s permission.
“I was told by induna Ngelemu Mdlalose that a large group of people, including Nomzamo had invaded Queen Nandi’s grave. Mdlalose wanted to know if I knew or had authorised their visit. But I was also shocked and disturbed because I had no knowledge of the visit,” he told Daily Sun at the time. .
“Any guest or visitor in the area must report to the local induna and myself as a chief. But this was not the case. They simply went straight to the gravesite. We still don’t know why,” he added.
They had reported the event to the chief.
Drama appears to be following the Shaka Ilembe team, as they have also been accused of failing to properly compensate the families who have claimed Intel from them.
The Mhlongo family spokesperson said at the time, “We were picked up from our homes and taken to Ballito where we stayed for about three days. During those days, we were filmed and we were narrating each and every detail about King Shaka and Queen Nandi. We even took them to all the locations where Shaka lived as a teenager,” said Mhlathuze Mhlongo,
“We also showed them the river where Nandi bathed every morning and all the places she liked. We know this information because both King Shaka and his mother, Queen Nandi, were from the Mhlongo clan,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the Mthethwa family, Phila Mthethwa said, “We phoned and we texted them [drama series producers] but they ignored us, they actually excluded us from the production,” he said. “Therefore, we regard this as theft of intellectual property, and we will not let them use it anywhere until this issue is resolved. We will interdict them if need be.”
Nomzamo Mbathaplays Queen Nandi the revered mother of Shaka, Thembinkosi Mthembu starring as King Dingiswayo, and Wiseman Mncube in the role of King Zwide. Playing the young and old Shaka are Lemogang Tsipa (adult king) and new kid on the block Ntando Zondi (boy king). Dawn Thandeka King will play the role of Shaka Zulu’s aunt Mkabayi kaJama.