South Africa was brought to a standstill when Dingiswayo, a leading character on Shaka iLembe in both seasons played by Thembinkosi Mthembu, met a brutal end. A great Mthethwa king, undone not by war but by cold betrayal and muthi.
In season 1, Godongwana (later known as Dingiswayo) faced betrayal too, from his brother Mawewe, hungry to be his father’s heir. This betrayal led to the brutal killing of many of the Mthethwa brothers, and Godongwana badly wounded had to disappear, hunted by his own people. He waited in exile, respecting his father’s reign whilst building alliances of his own. He wanted to reclaim the Mthethwa throne and avenge the deaths of his brothers. Finally, on hearing of his father’s passing, he returned to challenge Mawewe for the throne with a small but loyal army. The night before the clash, driven by principle over vengeance, he offered Mawewe a final chance to surrender. Mawewe refused. He ran to the Qwabe for military support.
The battle was a storm of shields and spears. Mawewe hid from the battlefield as Dingiswayo’s strategy and experience prevailed. Mawewe finally got captured and on his knees begged for his life. Dingiswayo spared him but silenced his treacherous tongue, the source of so much death. Mawewe was exiled. Dingiswayo ascended the Mthethwa throne. Dingiswayo’s rise was driven by vision. Though Mawewe’s deceit had cost him dearly, he chose to rebuild, not destroy. His justice was principled.
“I am no traitor” – Angilona imbuka – he declared, first to his father Jobe, then to King Bhungane played by musician Sjava. Loyalty defined him, yet his son Somveli betrayed him by being in league with the Ndwandwe.
Dingiswayo first saw Shaka fighting alongside the Qwabe. “I saw you at the Qwabe battle. You showed bravery,” he told the young warrior. Their bond deepened when years later Dingiswayo said, “Sigidi, you are a son to me”. Shaka had found a father figure and ally. He guided Shaka with affable authority: “You’ve grown. Stop following your mother. Join the Mthethwa army.” He mentored with clarity and conviction.
By season 2, Dingiswayo’s dream of uniting the Nguni was under siege, sabotaged from within and hunted from outside by Zwide kaLanga, whose path was shaped by Ntombazi’s dark arts. A trap was laid.
In episode 7, Dingiswayo awoke shackled in the Ndwandwe kraal. Betrayed, but unbroken. When Ntombazi hissed, “Isivukile inkosi yabaThethwa” (the Mthethwa king is awake), his face registered bitter understanding. Confronting Zwide, he said, “Your witchcraft brought me here. You have no shame”. A chilling reminder to Zwide that if he had fought in fairness, Dingiswayo would not have been captured. Offered a chance to beg, Dingiswayo refused. “You will never hear me beg. The Mthethwas will never bow to the Ndwandwes”.
Even in the face of death, he remained dignified. “After my departure,” he prophesied, “a powerful storm will come”. Then, his final act — a warrior’s last whispers, summoning his lineage: “Simamane, Khuwazi, Xaba, Jobe son of Khayi … Godongwana.” The ritual followed. Cows were unleashed. Stark. Spiritual. A staggering exit.
Mthembu’s performance was not just acting. It was a part of the soul of the show. A deep and respectful portrayal of a great man, Dingiswayo: kingmaker, reformer, father.
Shaka iLembe season 2 is proudly sponsored by headline partner Telkom, associate partners Knorrox, Diageo, and tactical partners Santam, Amka, Toyota, Spur, and Gordon’s Gin.
Watch the legendary rule of King Shaka unfold in Shaka iLembe season 2, on Sundays at 20:00 on Mzansi Magic, DStv channel 161. There are repeats on Fridays at 21:30 and Saturdays at 20:00. Watch season 1 on Showmax or DStv Catch Up.
Join the conversation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok using #ShakaiLembeS2.