Tragic undertones in Elliot Zondi's Ukufa Kukashaka ‘The death of Shaka’—1960

Abstract

This article aims at investigating the elements of tragedy in Elliot Zondi's literary work, Ukufa kukaShaka. The article highlights Zondi's main concern, namely the arguments for and against Shaka's assassination. What makes this drama interesting is that it gives another viewpoint on the death of Shaka. Zondi's perspective on the assassination is deeply influenced by the political climate of apartheid South Africa. The author of this article hypothesizes that the play displays a process of the tragic hero's fall, which is due to an error in judgement (tragic flaw) caused by hubris (overconfidence), a kind of hamartia that is common in classic tragedies. Shaka, the king of high standing, believes that he is chosen by the ancestors to rule over the Zulu nation. This belief makes him forget he is still human, which results in his making a number of miscalculations and leads ultimately to his doom. Shaka has a wide vision of a universal dispensation to benefit the Zulu, as well as other African nations that have had to contend with the threat of land rape and invasion from the white intruders. His death is, however, a great loss to the nation.