Shaka iLembe Is a Mirror — Reminding Us Who We Are in Africa - USkhaka Is FOKOL (SPOILT BRAT) - THANK YOU NANDI
Opinion
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Shaka iLembe is more than
just a TV production, it’s ancestral, spiritual and deeply intentional. It’s
not just about what’s on screen, but what stirs within us. It pulls us back
into ourselves, into memory, identity, and purpose. For me, it’s the most
important South African production since Shaka Zulu; not because of
scale alone, but because of how it honours where we come from.
At its heart, this is a story of
honour. It doesn’t hide from the contradictions or complexities of who we are
as Africans. Instead, it reflects us honestly in all our depth and richness.
The portrayal of Queen Nandi, especially, resonated with me as a man raised by
a single mother. It reminded me that the strength of women isn’t something to
romanticise, but to revere. This isn’t about glorifying struggle; it’s about
recognising the sacred, unshakable power of African women.
We live in a world that tries to
shame men who show emotion or love openly and who are close to their mothers –
yet I’m one of those and also know my friends whose sons felt the way I felt
when I was their age. But there is no shame in being raised in love. There is
no shame in honouring the person who shaped your spirit. Boys become men not
when the world says so, but when life calls them to step up, when
responsibility arrives and legacy demands something deeper. That moment is what
Shaka iLembe illustrates with so much grace (History will say otherwise).
The phrase “Indoda must...” has
often been used to shame or limit but in truth, being a man should mean
standing up with softness in strength, loving with accountability and serving
with humility. Our fathers and forefathers weren’t strong because they were hard;
they were strong because they were consistent, present and protective.
Shaka iLembe also reminds me
of something we often overlook women shape nations. Whether it’s your mother,
sister, aunt or girlfriend…their influence is sacred. A small check-in, a
gentle word — these are the quiet forces that guide men through chaos. We often
forget that every king was once held by a woman before the war, before the
power, before history remembered him.
Then there are the young “terrorists”,
as one my friends puts them - always watching every step and sip we take. They
are bloody mischievous, yes. But more importantly, they are learning. They form
their own identities by watching what we do, what we honour and how we live.
What we do today becomes their inheritance tomorrow.
So I offer this plea, out loud
and in the open. Let Shaka iLembe do more than entertain — let it teach
us, ground us and reconnect us to who we are. Let it restore our reverence for
women and children, reignite our commitment to purpose and reconnect us to our
spiritual and cultural roots.
We are still here. We have always been here. Our stories will
save us if we let them. So let’s not drift. Let’s come home to ourselves, hold hands
and walk forward together marching forward - as whole, rooted and proud
Africans.
Masingantenga-ntengi maAfrika.
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