Long before colonisers named it KwaZulu-Natal, the Zulus had their own name for the province, rooted in the story of a powerful queen., writes Celani Sikhakhane in Royals Mzansi.
To the Zulus, KwaZulu-Natal was never really KwaZulu-Natal. It was always kwelikaMthaniya, the land of Queen Mthaniya Sibiya.
That name has endured for generations, even through colonialism, carrying the memory of a queen who shaped the entire Zulu nation.
Mthaniya was the grandmother of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona. She was married to King Jama kaNdaba, a union arranged by Princess Mkabayi kaJama, King Jama’s daughter, who wanted to secure an heir for the kingdom.
Queen Mthaniya delivered. She bore King Jama a son named Senzangakhona, meaning “we have acted accordingly”, who later succeeded his father. That single act secured the Zulu lineage, and earned her a permanent place in the nation’s memory.
The province is also known as izwe elikaMthaniya, the land of Mthaniya.
Her influence did not end there. After King Jama died, Mthaniya served as regent while Senzangakhona was still young. Centuries later, that same tradition played out again.
After the death of King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu in March 2021, Queen Mantfombi kaSobhuza was appointed regent before King Misuzulu kaZwelithini was announced as the new king.
Now King Misuzulu has called for the province to be officially renamed KwaZulu, removing the Portuguese name Natal entirely. For many Zulus, the land never had another name to begin with.
Pictured above: King Misuzulu.
Image source: File
