THE KING-MAKING AUNT

Exploring the importance of Mkabayi

Having not taken a wife of his own, Shaka relied heavily on his extended family, particularly the women, to run key parts of his kingdom. His own mother, Nandi, was chief among these figures for much of his life, but of near equal importance was the sister of Senzangakhona and Shaka’s aunt, Mkabayi.

Mkabayi had acted as regent on behalf of Senzangakhona when their father Jama had died, and it’s said she had even found her father the wife that bore him his son in the first place. Senzangakhona had still not reached the age of maturity and so Mkabayi had to step in to maintain the continuity of the family line. She and many of her sisters never married, preferring to remain princesses among the Zulu people rather than be married off to rival groups. In this position they had more autonomy and power than they would have done as the wife of a different chief.

While Nandi and Shaka were thought to be in exile, or at least living away from the Zulu, it had been the sisters like Mkabayi who had kept in touch and visited with the young Shaka, which may have helped build a strong bond between them. When Senzangakhona passed away, it was notable that Mkabayi gave her blessing to Shaka to return and usurp the chosen heir, helping to smooth things over with the people beforehand.

Mkabayi was no less important to Shaka’s downfall, however. After the death of Nandi and military setbacks, she plotted with his brothers Dingane and Mhlangana to assassinate him. She then helped to orchestrate Dingane take the throne by plotting against Mhlangana.