Zulu – The Movie

I watched a re-run on the box last night of the 1964 movie Zulu starring Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins and a young Michael Caine. Not only these but also our very own Shenge better known as President-for-Life of the IFP, Mangosuthu Buthelezi in the role of Cetshwayo. No glasses, no grey hair and no slimmer.

The story centres on the defence of Rorke’s Drift after the defeat at Isandhlwana on January 22 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War and was shot on location at the Royal Natal National Park here in KwaZulu-Natal.

The rank and file of the British troops were played by men from 5^th South African Infantry Battalion from the Ladysmith camp. These (then) young men were national servicemen doing their stint in the army and were borrowed for the filming. Included in their numbers were a couple of my mates – one of whom I recognised in the movie. Ah – a personal if somewhat tenuous link.