Dinuzulu Sees Light Of Day

Long under wraps, the statue of King Dinuzulu in Durban’s Botha Gardens was finally unveiled as part of Heritage Month celebrations. Berea Road, which runs alongside the park was also officially renamed King Dinuzulu Road at the September event. And just as Mayor Obed Mlaba completed the renaming ceremony, the heavens opened – a sign of good luck – putting a sheen on the likeness of Dinizulu, standing proud in military uniform.
Dignitaries who attended included King Goodwill Zwelithini, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele, IFP Leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and Sport and Recreation MEC Amichand Rajbansi. Ndebele gave a brief history of King Dinuzulu and explained why his statue has been erected near Gen Louis Botha’s in the park. “The statue is next to Gen Louis Botha, the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa in 1910. “Botha had befriended Dinuzulu during the 1880s and released him from prison in 1910.
The two giants of our history are symbols of the beginning of the journey towards reconciliation in this country.” Ndebele said it was important for all South Africans to acknowledge and celebrate our heritage. “Heritage is at the core of our identity, and plays a pivotal role in reconciliation. To reconcile is to come to peace with the past. You cannot reconcile unless you know what happened. “This statue is a part of continuous recognition of traditional leadership by the democratic government, and in particular, recognition of a king who saw and experienced it all, but kept on fighting for the dignity of his people, their land and the royal house of Shaka.”