The Great Road : the King Mzilikazi movie

King Mzilikazi was a legend. He was a warrior and nation builder. Books have been written about him. But there has never been a movie or documentary about him. His life story would make an exciting film. And he is not the only one. There should be films about Moshoeshoe, Dingane, Sekhukhune, Hintsa and other great African kings.

If I were to create a film about King Mzilikazi I would call it The Great Road. Using the seven part screenplay story structure this is how I would do it. Bear in my this is fiction and not historical facts or a documentary. It is meant to entertain so there is creative licence to bend the truth.

The Hook, Set up and Exposition

The Great Road starts Nompethu and Mashobane get married. Nompethu is the daughter of Zwide chief of the Ndwandwe clan. Mashobane is chief of the Khumalo clan. That night after the marriage Mashobane and Nompethu make love. Nine months later Mzilikazi is born at sunrise. His grandmother Ntombazi who is Zwide's wife acts a midwife. Ntombazi gives Mzilikazi his name because as a prophetess she can see he will travel a great road in the fuure. The film looks at Mzilikazi's upbringing. He herds cattle and meets a young and beautiful girl named Nyamazana. They go swimming and make love.

The Inciting Incident

Mzilikazi's grandfather Zwide calls his Dingiswayo chief of the Mthethwa clan and his general Shaka Zulu to a feast. Dingiswayo arrives early but is killed by Zwide. Mzilikazi's father Mashobane then sends his son Mzilikazi to warn Shaka not to come to the feast. Mzilikazi goes and warns Shaka to stay away. When Zwide finds out Mashobane warned Shaka, Zwide kills Mashobane. Zwide wants to kill Mzilikazi too but his grandmother Ntombazi and Zwide's wife stops him from killing Mzilikazi. Ntombazi gives Mzilikazi a magical spear that will make him invincible in battle. She tells him to run away because Zwide will kill him. Mzilikazi leaves during the night and goes to Shaka. Shaka remembers that Mzilikazi warned him about the trap. So Shaka and Mzilikazi unite to defeat Zwide. They begin training and planning for the war.

The Turning Point

Mzilikazi and Shaka get their warriors and fight and defeat Zwide. Zwide is killed in battle and his warrors like Zwangendaba, Nxaba and Soshangane run away. Shaka declares himself king and sends Mzilikazi to raid cattle. Mzilikazi goes to war with Chief Ranisi, gets the cattle but refuses to send them to Shaka. Shaka sends an army but Mzilikazi defeats them. Then Shaka allows Mzilikazi to leave. Mzilikazi leaves and travels north with his warriors and families. During the journey Mzilikazi fights many battles and he gathers outcasts and runaways and creates a mighty nation, the Ndebele. He settles in what is today Pretoria and rules over a large land.

The Mid Point and change of strategy

The Afrikaner Boers enter Mzilikazi's land and he fights them. At the same time Dingane the new Zulu king sends an army to kill Mzilikazi. At the same time the Griqua attack Mzilikazi. Mzilikazi and his brave warriors fight a war on three fronts and are defeated. The Ndebele nation splits into two. One group led by Gundwane Ndiweni crosses the Limpopo and enters present day Zimbabwe. The other group led by Mzilikazi goes into Botswana. Mzilikazi travels around meeting people and fighting off rivals.

The Crisis

Mzilikazi gets lost in the desert but finally makes to the mountain Ntabazinduna. While he was away Gundwane has crowned Mzilikazi's son Nkulumane the king. Gundwane is a schemer who wants to rule through the young prince Nkulumane. When Mzilikazi meets Gundwane, Gundwane tells Mzilikazi that he is no longer king and now Nkulumane is the king. Gundwane and the rebels blame Mzilikazi for their defeat and reject him as king. Mzilikazi doesnt want to fight his own people but he has no other choice. Mzilikazi declares war on Gundwane and the rebels.

The Climax

Mzilikazi then meets the girl from his childhood, the beautiful Nyamazana again. She is now queen of the Ngoni people. Mzilikazi tells her about the rebellion and together they unite and declare war on the rebels. Mzilikazi fights Gundwane in a ferocious battle. Gundwane is killed and Mzilikazi emerges victorious. Mzilikazi banishes his young son Nkulumane who returns to Kwazulu. 

The Resolution

After Mzilikazi and Nyamazana are victorious they get married. Then they rule as king and queen over their kingdom and live happily ever after. In this version Mzilikazi is still a young man in his late 30s when the movie ends.