Wiseman Mncube brought KaLanga to life in his performance on Shaka iLembe.
Wiseman Mncube’s portrayal of the late King Zwide KaLanga on Shaka iLembe was one of the standout performances in the show’s first season.
History recounts KaLanga as one of the most ruthless and vicious rulers of his time.
“Before I even shot the show, people would tell me Zwide was like a lion…they would say he was ten times what Shaka was, people feared him [Zwide],” Mncube tells The Citizen.
KaLanga is the second-born son of Queen Ntombazi, portrayed by Khabonina Qubeka.
KaLanga was a ruler of the Ndwandwe (Nxumalo) nation. His reign is estimated to have lasted between 1802 and 1820.
He was an adversary to Dingiswayo, the leader of the Mthethwa, and Shaka kaSenzangakhona, the founder of the Zulu Kingdom.
“Had Shaka not conquered Zwide, we would probably be speaking of the Ndwandwe nation, not the Zulu nation because of how big they were.”
Mncube spoke to The Citizen at a media junket held in Johannesburg ahead of the second season of Mzansi Magic’s Shaka iLembe.
The follow-up season will premiere on Sunday, 15 June, at 8pm on Mzansi Magic.
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Portraying King Zwide kaLanga
There’s no footage of the feared monarch; however, 35-year-old Mncube brought life to those historical records of KaLanga in his performance.
“As I was portraying Zwide-and he had that intensity- I just had to allow that spirit of the character to take over you,”.
“I always say that you allow the story to take you where it’s going…you allow that voice to direct you where it wants to go.”
“It’s not easy. It may look like it’s easy.
He says his vulnerability helped him play the character as he did. “People are afraid of going deep [into character], no one wants to be vulnerable in the world.
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Playing real-life characters
Mncube’s portrayal of KaLanga is not the first real-life character role he has played. A few years ago, he played Kwaito legend Mandoza in BET’s The Life of Mandoza.
One would assume it’s easier to portray KaLanga as no one living in this generation saw him; playing Mandoza, who died in 2016, was more scrutinised.
However, Mncube says similarly to how the first televised depiction of Shaka Zulu was by Henry Cele in the 1980s and how people instantly think of Cele when pondering Shaka Zulu, people will think of him when speaking about KaLanga.,
“I could say for Mandoza it was hard and for Zwide it was easy, but it’s not. I had to make a footprint with Zwide and set a certain standard,” he says.
He adds that playing the role of KaLanga came with pressure, the more he learnt about the kind of king he was.
“I needed to make sure that I portray this man properly…even if I don’t reach the heights he did in real life, but people should respect him, based on how they saw me portray him .”
He says shooting the second season was slightly easier than the first.
“It’s nicer [in season two] because we did the first layout and now I know and have something to play on for the second season.”
The upcoming season has more fighting scenes, and Mncube enjoyed the shooting. “I do enjoy action scenes. I’m an active person even though I’m an introvert and always in my corner, but I get to play in those kind of scenes.”
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