Portrait commemorating his ascension presented to Zulu King by local artist
King Misuzulu KwaZwelithini recently received a portrait commemorating his ascension to the Zulu throne painted by a Pietermaritzburg artist.
Siyanda Baijoo Motau (30) said he still could not believe that his painting, that was completed three years ago, had finally reached the Zulu King.
“I was approached by a client in 2021, who wanted to do a unique piece of artwork as a gift to the King.
However, I could not say anything at the time as I was told we had to wait for the finalisation of certain matters,” said Motau.
Motau said he took his time with the painting as he wanted to include as much detail as possible in the piece, knowing it would be handed over to the King.
The painting was done on an A2 canvas with acrylic paint.
“I wanted the piece to be exceptional. It took me two months to paint, I looked at a few ideas and I wanted to create as much depth as possible in the painting, as it was depicting him when ascending to the throne and I wanted to make sure that the power of him as a king was evident in the picture.
“It has been with me in storage ever since and, at one point, I thought I might just keep it with me as part of my collection.
“On Tuesday, I got a call from my client who asked me if I still have the painting with me as she wanted to present it to the King,” said Motau.
He said he was in shock when he saw photographs of the King holding his painting.
“It has all come full circle, from working on the painting to eventually seeing the King holding [the piece].
This has been an achievement for me, my family and friends who support my art and my dreams.
I am very thankful to my parents, who always encouraged me and helped me especially in the days that I wanted to give up and get a normal 9 am to 5 pm job,” said Motau.
He said he loves learning about culture and traditions and being commissioned to do the painting allowed him to do more research about the Zulu cultural background.
“I am Sesotho by birth but I come from a household of mixed cultures and since the painting, I have just been doing more research about the royal family and research about my own culture and traditions.
I also try to incorporate what I learn into my fashion and dressing, like the use of the sari.
“I also started watching Shaka Ilembe on Showmax and that’s where I also got inspiration from,” said Motau.
Motau will be showcasing his other work at the Art in the Park festival starting today at the Botanical Gardens.
Pupils from over 10 Pietermaritzburg schools will represent the KZN Midlands Youth Choir this year.
The choir performed for the first time this year on Wednesday at St Charles College.
The schools that have pupils in the choir include Carter High School, Epworth, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School,
Grace College, Hilton College, Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse, Riverwood College, St Charles College, St Anne's D.S.G, St John's D.S.G, Treverton College, Wembley College and The Wykeham Collegiate.
According to William Silk, the choir master of the KZN Midlands Youth Choir, it is made up of 68 pupils, the youngest is 13-years-old and the oldest 18.
“Pupils come from throughout the province and we have [children] from the Greater Midlands area. We have pupils that come through from Greytown, Wartburg and as far down as Kloof and the greater Pietermaritzburg and Howick areas,” said Silk.
The choir will soon be jetting off to Europe to showcase their talent and the influence of African music to the world.
“We are attending a festival in Germany; we were invited by choirs from Germany to perform in a concert at the festival. We will also be presenting workshops which will help to push traditional African music and African influence in music to the wider world,” he said.
Silk said that the pupils usually meet once a week on a Wednesday from 5 pm to 9.30 pm at the Riverwood College, where they train for international and national tournaments.
Silk added that it was such a pleasure to mentor the youth.
“It is amazing. I have been conducting youth choirs since 2003/2004. I have worked all over the place and you can see the confidence in these children. It is something amazing. A lot of them come from broken homes and difficult backgrounds and this provides them with the opportunity to grow,” said Silk.
Pierre Frenzel, the head of the music department at St Charles College, said that it was a positive experience for their pupils.
“It is wonderful for our boys to have the opportunity to sing in the Midlands Youth Choir and something that we encourage our pupils to participate in. We are grateful that they can share their experiences and skills with their fellow St Charles College choristers,” said Frenzel.
He added that the school has a great interest in the musical arts.
“At St Charles College, we place much value on KZN Midlands Youth Choir selection. Our boys who are selected and participate in the Midlands Youth Choir receive school awards and can potentially receive school honours if they excel at international competitions,” he said.
Frenzel explained the school has a music programme to help their pupils.
“St Charles College offers a wide variety of co-curricular and extra-mural activities from pre-primary through to grade 12, including instrumental programmes, class music and music groups. We encourage our boys to make as much music together with others. Our boys have opportunities to perform in solo and group settings, including choir, orchestra, marimbas and bands,” he said.
Frenzel added that the school was proud of its boys and their achievements.
“St Charles College hosts KZN Midlands Youth Choir auditions every year and our entire high school choir is encouraged to audition, explaining the benefits of extending their musicianship and performing together with other young choristers from the KZN Midlands,” he said.
Cecilia Jansen, from the KZN Midlands Youth Choir, added that they hosted auditions throughout the Midlands areas.
“The pupils [are able to] interact with other young adults and as we have schools from all over the Midlands, they can mingle with pupils from other schools. It is an area where they can develop out of the school environment,” she said.
In addition she said, “We want to create awareness of the choir and we would love the people of the Midlands to support them. We want to showcase their talent.”
She added that the choir had accomplished a lot.
“Our achievements include international recognitions such as second place in the Youth Choir category at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 2012 and a performance for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee. Notably, we were named Best Youth Choir at the ATKV Animato National Choral Competition in 2013 and received silver and bronze at the Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg in 2015.
“In 2017, we clinched first place in the Cultural Showcase category at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen. Invited back to Wales in 2018, we participated in the International Choral Festival. Recently, we earned accolades at the AV International Choral Competition in Greece, garnering two golds and one silver,” she said.
Next month only 36 members of the choir will be jetting off to Germany due to the choir not securing major sponsorships.
The choir will leave on June 26 and will return to South Africa on July 8.
Adouble-amputee motorcycle rider and founder of non-governmental organisation Out on a Limb is encouraging people living with disabilities to embrace life, saying that “disability does not and will never equate to inability”.
Matthew McKelvey, in partnership with the Royal Hospital and Out on a Limb held a bike ride on Sunday to commemorate Limb Awareness Month and raise awareness about people living with disabilities.
McKelvey first lost one of his legs in a hit and run accident and a year later another accident involving a drunk driver resulted in him losing his other leg. He launched the NGO in 2012 as he saw a need to raise awareness for vulnerable people and offer support for them too.
McKelvey said “he could have
chosen to let despair consume him or surrender to the limitations imposed by his circumstances but chose to embrace life.”
He encouraged others to do the same.
“Limb awareness month is not just about celebrating our victories, it is also about shining a light on the obstacles that still lie ahead: advancing greater accessibility, inclusivity and understanding in a world that often overlooks the needs of [those with disabilities],” he said.
McKelvey said he chose not to ponder over what was taken from him and instead he wants to do what he loves which is riding his motorcycle. He said “still being able to ride a motorcycle after losing both my legs shows that one can do what they love whether they are fully abled or living with a disability”.
Shawn Naidoo, a double amputee at the event, said: “Finding others in a similar predicament [helps]. I have a smile on my face now and I expect to be walking with artificial limbs by the end of the year.”
“I could not have got [to the place I am now] without support from family, friends, fellow amputees and medical professionals,” Naidoo said.
“It is so important to know that you are not alone in this world and that there are people who will help you,” he added.
Head of marketing and PR for the hospital, Shubnum Ismail, said the event was important to the hospital which wanted to show their patients that they are not alone, are supported and can do everything an able-bodied person can do.