How a 'nuisance call' led the Zulus to come to Wales to foster friendship

EVERYBODY needs a nice heart-warming story in these troubled times. It is even better if the two parties in the story first met as opponents on the battlefield of Victorian Imperial expansion in Africa.

And even better still when the acorn of the initiative was considered a nuisance caller, and only persistence managed to get this train on the track. A railroad that led to the Zulu king and the Prince of Wales meeting in peace at the Royal Welsh Show, and stretching out into a future of cultural co-operation, and educational and agricultural assistance.

Zulu is a word with strong associations. To the actor Michael Caine it made his name with the film that he starred in. To other actors at the time of the Anglo-Zulu wars it meant different things.

Prince Charles and the Zulu warrior Royal Welsh Regimental Museum 2017

Royal Welsh Museum King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu unveiling Rorke's Drift VCs

To Victorian Britain it was the shocking defeat of Britain’s finest armed with modern rifles and canons by an African tribal army whose main weapons were no more than a short spear and bull hide shield. It was at another battle soon afterwards, a heroic defence succeeding against enormous odds at Rorke’s Drift that led to a record number of VCs being awarded to a regiment for a single action.

The war led to the defeated Zulu king’s incarceration in prison being followed by a visit to England to visit Queen, and been given back his kingdom and title by an impressed Victoria.

That was in 1879. In 2016 Dorcas Cresswell, at that time chairman of the trustees of the Friends of the Royal Welsh Regimental Museum, received what she thought were nuisance calls from Eliot Nubane, a Zulu who had got her contact details from the website Never Forget Your Welsh Heroes, a campaign by the museum to digitally archive the letters of Welsh soldiers from the First World War.

So far, so random.

Pageant at Brecon Barracks

Pageant at Brecon Barracks

Eliot, who had a background in theatrical productions, wanted to establish a cultural link with the regiment that was defeated at Iswandlana and won the VCs at Rorke’s Drift, to help commemorate the visit of King Cetshwayo to Britain in 1879.

Dorcas is the sort of person who relishes a challenge, and picks up challenges and runs with them where others dither and prevaricate. She contacted the South African High Commissioner, and invited him down to Brecon for a fund raising dinner for the museum at Llangoed Hotel, so they could talk properly.

One thing led to another, and Dorcas was put in contact with Gugu Ngcubo who ran the royal household of King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu in Kwa-Zulu Natal, and they communicated about potential cultural and educational initiatives. It could have all drifted along and disappeared if Dorcas had not suddenly got an invitation from the king to visit him, and be guests at the re-enactment of battle of Iswandlana.

Dorcas and her husband David, and her party of helpers were shown the Zulu nation, and its villages and traditions, and its need for help to transform its people with better education and agriculture. They were treated as honoured guests, and sat on the dais with the king and his queens at dinners.

“He called me sister Dorcas and it was a very warm welcome. He treated like a long lost buddy,” Dorcas says.

King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and Dorcas Cresswell, trustee of the Royal Welsh Regimental Museum

Royal Welsh Show (l-r) Dorcas Cresswell, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and Queen Nompumelo

Inspired by the Zulu king’s historical diplomacy, Dorcas returned to Brecon and set to raising the funds to bring the Zulus to Wales, and establish proper cultural and educational links. With grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Armed Forces Fund, the first party came to Wales, and after the staging of the musical Cetshawayo in Theatr Brycheiniog and a Zulu jazz band performed for Brecon Jazz Festival, and then the dance troupe of Zulu warriors including several princes took Cardiff Castle by storm with a re-enactment of Iswandlana.

At the end of the trip, there was a lot of kind words and good intentions about getting King to kick start a real cultural connection between the Zulu nation and Wales. With the South African High Commission and the Welsh government tying themselves in knots over who should be the one to offer the invitation to the king, like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from Alice in Wonderland.

So taking the bull by the horns, Dorcas made an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund on behalf of the Friends of the Royal Welsh Regimental Museum, and a little to her surprise, the funding was granted and she could invite the King to Wales for the 140th anniversary of his forebear’s visit to England to see Queen Victoria and ask for his throne back.

Royal Welsh Show 2019 King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu

Royal Welsh Show Duchess of Cornwall receives resent from Zulu Queen

Zulu in Royal Welsh Regimental Museum 2017

Another trip to Kwa-Zulu Natal saw Dorcas taking precedence over the Chinese ambassador in South Africa, as they planned the visit, and the king showed Dorcas and her party how he needed their help to help his people with improving their agricultural practices, to become better at land management and deal with the drought they were suffering.

What Dorcas managed, with a small army of volunteers and friends connected to the museum, was a five day regal visit of 100 Zulus including six princes and princesses. Not only did the king meet Prince Charles at the Royal Welsh Show, where the Zulu troupe performed traditional dances for the prince, but dialogue was established with farming bodies. In honour of his visit to Brecon, Dorcas also arranged for the original VCs to be brought out of the bank and put on display, attracting 3,000 visitors to the town, which the king kindly agreed to formally unveil as a sign of friendship and respect. With a visit to the Senedd for a reception by the Welsh government, before a visit to Windsor Castle to view the records of the Anglo-Zulu war and a reception in Pall Mall, and Dorcas had achieved a successful and fruitful visit to Britain by her friend the king.

Royal Welsh Show King Goodwill meets Prince Charles

Royal Welsh Show Zulus

Zulu attack Royal Welsh Regimental Museum 2017

It has also given her a new role, as along with Gugu of the royal household she is forming an official collaboration called Mkhanyakude to create more solid links with business, schools, agriculture, tourism, and hopefully much more. With British Council involvement, and enthusiasm from many quarters, it looks like a friendship between two old enemies is set to flourish.

And it all started with a nuisance phone call.