The Zulus are coming! But sat-nav blunder sends them 200 miles off course...to Hull
WHEN teachers arrived at their school in Hull to find nine spearcarrying Zulu warriors at the gates, they were, understandably, a little confused.
But not as confused as the Zulus, who asked them: ‘Is this London?’
As both groups looked at each other in bewilderment, it soon became apparent how their very different worlds had managed to collide...it was all down to a mix-up with the sat-nav.
The Zulu ‘warriors’ were in fact the Lions of Zululand, a South African dance troupe who were expecting to perform for the children of St Ann’s School in Brentford, West London.
Thanks to a clerical blunder, their sat nav directed them to St Anne’s in Welton on the outskirts of Hull – 200 miles from their intended destination.
After a few phone calls, the Lions’ leader Mdu Mkize discovered how the mistake occurred.
While they had the correct school’s address, the region had been listed as ‘East Yorkshire’, with the Hull school’s phone number. So when Mr Mkize put
‘This does not happen every day’
the number into Google to find the postcode so he could drive from St Albans, he’d ended up with the one for the Yorkshire school.
Yesterday an embarrassed Mr Mkize, 50, said: ‘I feel very sorry about what happened and this is not something that happens every day.’
Luckily the Hull school, for children with special needs, were so impressed with the group they booked them on the spot.
The Lions – who were on their annual tour of the UK from South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province – did two performances and a workshop for the pupils, some of whom had a go at drumming and dancing.
The day was funded by a charity which sponsors the group’s visits to special schools.
Christine Lee, assistant head at St Anne’s, said: ‘ The kids absolutely loved it. We would definitely have them back.’
The Lions now hope to rearrange their visit to London – this time with very clearly issued directions.