#Perspective: There’s a Zulu king on my stoep

I’m pleased to see the authorities (aka the ANC) are once again trying to make good with Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.

Offending the monarchy is an expensive exercise and one our esteemed leaders seem doomed to repeat at regular intervals.

Politicians who scorned the King prior to the elections are now eating humble pie by the (MK) plateful, and it is being dished up in the form of a royal palace to be built right here in Ballito (although I suspect that Zimbali might be more up the King’s street).

Still, lets hope he can be persuaded to build somewhere more accessible to his subjects.

The 7th royal palace should be the crème de la crème, the piece de la resistance, the jewel in the king’s crown…

That’s of course if the DA can be persuaded to loosen the purse strings. But anything worth doing is worth doing properly, right?

I’m thinking a mini Lost City, proper palace vibes, you know, something we can really boast about. It should be complete with a statue (I believe the airport still have one in storage), water features (no fire pools though, lets keep this all above board), and larger than life royal shields and tusks to boot.

Perhaps the King could be persuaded to allow tours?

Jokes aside (except for the tours, I’m serious about that one), offending the King seems to be somewhat of a royal pastime for our political leaders.

Fourteen years later and the state is still poised to reveal its second attempt at a statue of King Shaka at the airport named in his honour after the original went down like a lead balloon.

Too much like a ‘herd boy’ I believe and definitely not large enough.

Rumour has it that the new statue is much more impressive and much, much larger. Actually, its already up and waiting for its big reveal – has been for the past two years.

If you visit the airport and peep behind the shade cloth you will find this version is four times higher than the original (the statue is 6.5m high, mounted on a plinth around 6m high).

Designed by Karkloof-based sculptor Peter Hall, this one is considerably larger than life and more appropriately fierce.

According to the Daily Maverick, Kim Goodwin, the artist and foundryman who cast both the first and second Shaka statues in bronze at his foundry in Lidgetton, confirmed he was paid nearly R3.5-million for his contributions to the project, and estimated that the total cost of the second statue came to at least R8-million (and possibly double that figure considering the additional costs of design, sculpting, landscaping, building a new plinth and other ancillary expenses). Eye-watering stuff.

Lets hope this one finds favour by all and no more bronze heads have to roll. When it will be unveiled remains to be seen but I suspect it will only be once the yes men are back in favour with the royal family.

The King was in town this week for the Umkhosi WeLembe celebration and who knows, he may have had time for a little house hunting. I can just imagine the local estate agents doing little skips of joy at the thought.

Anyway, I hope building a palace won’t be as treacherous a process as commissioning a statue. One can only hope!

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