The writer says If he were to establish a political party or become the president of the country, the first person he would undoubtedly appoint as his strategic adviser and back-office technocrat would be Prince Zola Dotwana. Picture: Supplied
By Dr Vusi Shongwe
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Posterity refers to future generations or the people who will exist in the future. It can also refer to the legacy or impact that one’s actions or decisions will have on future generations.
My acquaintance with His Royal Highness Prince of KwaPhindangene made me bond with his sister’s son, Prince Zola Dotwana, who was his personal assistant.
Since Shenge left us, every time I mention his name the other person smiles. Which tells me that something important is missing for more of us than he could have imagined.
Unashamedly, Prince Zola has become my intellectual mentor and a source of inspiration. The prince is a rare cocktail of best-kept-secret brilliance!
His infectious enthusiasm, strength, generosity, intellect, knowledge, and lovely sociability keep me sane and focused. I find it quite bizarre why the leaders of the Inkatha Freedom Party are not utilising a great intellectual and above-average technocratic asset like Zola Dotwana.
Then again, it is partly not surprising when considering the characteristic humbleness that encapsulates Prince Zola’s social disposition. Popular and biblical wisdom advises that we must remain humble at all times. But I would venture that we must not overdo it to a point of short-changing ourselves as Zola seems to be doing. The man is a genius!
If I were to establish a political party or become the president of the country, the first person I would undoubtedly appoint as my strategic adviser and back-office technocrat would be Prince Zola Dotwana.
His effectiveness flows from a deft combination of his innate Socratic skill and an always overflowing desire to understand the basics, owing to his background as a computer programmer, systems analyst, business process management specialist, and enterprise architecture analyst.
Attributes that are socially rare and misunderstood since they are often associated with nerds. Perhaps that’s the reason why Prince Zola is noticeably a social loner.
A brief account of why Prince Zola is such an endearing figure requires a brief look at his personality, his character, and his passions. He is both approachable and gregarious by nature.
What impresses most about him are his candour, nonpartisan objectivity, and irrepressible sense of humour. His gift of gab notwithstanding, he invariably makes time for anyone. He is a compassionate person who never misses an opportunity to offer a cheerful word or note of consolation to those whom he feels are in need.
Motivating all of these acts of kindnesses is his overwhelmingly generous spirit. He recognizes the privilege of who he is, and how he was raised. From that internal peace springs a palpable sense of responsibility to help others find their own potential, confidence, success, and peace. He is a good man who emphasises the importance of having diverse soft skills.
Soft skills are non-technical skills that are valuable in personal and professional life. They are character traits, personality attributes, and behaviours that enhance an individual's ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively with others.
Prince Zola’s tagline that adorns his email signature reads: “We all have something in us that the world needs.” That tagline has powerful motivation and propagation significance.
Prince Zola’s passions are the final ingredients essential to a full understanding of why he remains dear to so many. His extraordinary appreciation of diverse music genres says volumes about the depth of his spirit.
As testified by music playlists on his cellphone, he finds it effortless to meander through diverse music genres that most of us are guided by our current mood and social background.
I mean, really, it’s a mean fit to jump from listening to Jazz, R&B, Soul, Ballads, Gospel, Classic, and Opera—genres that are often classified as “spirit-calming music"—to"jumping effortlessly to “white music”. Country, Rock, Metal, African Maskandi, AmaPiano, Soulful House, then, believe it or not, Hindi devotional music! That characterises graphically his complex personality that many find hard to fathom.
Like many of us, what he chooses to embrace most tightly constitutes peepholes into his soul, his principal motivations for rising at 2 or 3 AM—as he usually does—and having a wonderful day without regard to health, weather, the political landscape, or the workload ahead.
As former PA of the phenomenon that comes once in a lifetime, Prince of KwaPhindangene, Prince Zola loved his job and, not surprisingly, it loved him back lock, stock, and barrel; warts and all that comes with the territory.
Prince Zola Dotwana always reminds me to be open to ideas, insights, and knowledge of others and often reminds me that none of us are infallible. No matter the time it takes, this is absolutely imperative in conducting research.
Dotwana is prudence personified. Prudence is the direct antithesis of being a know-it-all. Two of its principle requirements are docility and humility. The word humility comes from humus, meaning earth.
Zola is as down-to-earth as one could be. I thank Zola for his passionate guidance in my quest to plumbing the depths of often inconvenient truth. Today, we live in a time in which truth is becoming more and more elusive. Often it is clouded, twisted, and abused for self-serving purposes.
And often those who should be defending it aren't burning the midnight oil and going the extraordinary mile to find it. Dotwana personifies burning the midnight oil par excellence.
One significant trait I have also noted in both Prince Zola and his uncle, Prince of KwaPhindangene, is the ability to mingle with diverse races, tribes, and political party affiliates effortlessly. I have noted an admirable social cohesion outlook in their dispositions.
It has been a subculture among many to be openly tribalistic and racist under the guise of being very traditional. The ability to be objective and give praise where it is due regardless of race, tribe, and political affiliation is a quality we should aspire to.
Thank you, Zola, for taking me to a new level of thinking. Thanks for your example of docility and humility, which are the signs of a true scholar. Thank you most of all for being you, a person in love with the truth.
You live the Book of Wisdom and its counsel to us, "Wisdom is the principle thing; get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7). In my previous life as a university lecturer, Prince Zola, undoubtedly, would have been my A+ plus student.
I heartily thank His Excellency Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi for having welcomed and treated me as his son. Growing up in the dusty streets of Ermelo, I never thought God would elevate me to be head of the Department of the Royal Household and, most importantly, the confidant of His Majesty King Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu, as well as to be embraced and loved by Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, whom I held in great reverence and respect.
Speaking of uMdlokombane, I had the privilege of noting a somewhat mystical synchronicity in an account that Prince Zola once shared with me during our regular devil’s hour teleconversations.
Being first cousins with His Majesty King Zwelithini, Zola shared that iSilo frequently called him “mzala” (cousin) instead of “Ndabezitha”, as it is traditionally and customarily done among those who are direct descendants (progeny) of His Majesty King Mpande.
He noted the tone and emphatic pronunciation of each “mzala” that it had a curious clarifying significance that was best known to His Majesty. Prince Zola narrated that uMdlokombane would frequently call him in the late hours during the lonesome Covid-19 lockdown period, as he often did with many of us who were his close associates.
It then dawned on me that the synchronicity of being cherished by His Majesty King Zelithini, his uncle the Prince of KwaPhindangene, and then by his nephew Prince Zola is not an accidental occurrence.
The “Power of Attraction” that God seems to have bestowed on my humble soul is a blessing indeed. At this point, I may as well include an advance apology for any unintentional embarrassment this piece may cause my very private mentor, Prince Zola Mveleli Dotwana, a best-kept secret.
I will be remiss if I do not express my profound gratitude to the honourable Blessed Gwala, who introduced me to the Prince of KwaPhindangene. I am eternally grateful to Gwala for the father figure he has been in my life. His fatherly love for me keeps me grounded and humbled.
* Dr Vusi Shongwe is the former head of the Department of the Royal Household. The contribution is written in his personal capacity. The views expressed here are his own.