The Zulu king’s controversial call for the province of KwaZulu-Natal to be renamed KwaZulu

IN HIS recent speech commemorating the 147th anniversary of the Battle of Isandlwana, the reigning Zulu king, Misuzulu, sparked controversy by stating that the province of KwaZulu-Natal should be renamed KwaZulu, meaning “place of the Zulus”.

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The king’s reasoning behind the name change is that colonialism distorted the province's history.

The Zulu king’s decision to rename KZN is likely to receive endorsement from political parties that draw mainly on Zulu-speaking support. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has already expressed its support for the idea. This does not come as a surprise, as the IFP has always insisted on the name “KwaZulu” for the province. Lest we forget, the traditional prime minister of the Zulu king had been the longtime leader of the IFP, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

For those who oppose the idea, the argument is that dropping Natal seeks to erase the province's history, and such attempts would make non-Zulus feel like second-class citizens in what would amount to a Zulu kingdom. Even more controversial is the name “Zulu”.

Is Zulu just a family name/surname, or is it a cultural identity? Is there a language named after a surname anywhere in the world? What language(s) were spoken by the Mkhizes, Ngcobos, and Mthethwas before King Shaka annexed these clans? Were Shaka’s exploits colonisation? If colonisation is so offensive, why are the Nxumalos, Mhblongos and Zumas proud Zulus?

The Zulu king’s call to rename KZN does not only amount to opening Pandora’s box, but its timing is awkward. The timing of the name change comes as the KZN province is still in the process of converting city-based licence plates to province-based plates. Let us assume KZN eventually becomes KwaZulu: does this mean the new vehicle plates, ZN, will have to be changed to KwaZulu province (KZP/ ZP)? Similarly, would the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) have to change its name to the University of KwaZulu (UKZ)? What about the change of addresses, electronic mail (email) addresses, and letterheads? At what cost would these changes come, and who would foot the bill for institutions such as UKZN?

So, “what is in a name?”