Contrary to some reports, he did not write the
Shaka Zulu (1986) series based on the writings of Francis
George Farewell. His trilogy was based on his own novel "Shaka Zulu"
(1985). In this novel he literally used all the oral tradition he
garnered from the Zulu people (having lived there for many
months) and refined it, adding an international transcultural flavor to
the story. In the final product, almost 50% of all the facts are not
history but the fruit of his imagination honed by a great
understanding and love for the Zulus. In that respect, one can say that
"Shaka" is factually a "true story" inasmuch as it was the truth he felt
while he was writing it. Indeed, when he was awarded a commendation by
Zulu Prime Minister
Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, he mentioned how exciting it was for
the future of South Africa that the story of Shaka should be conceived
and created by a non-Zulu and non-South African. Having been a member
of the African National Congress (when it was still outlawed), he felt that during the
filming of "Shaka" some sort of control should be exercised on the South
African apartheid production (contrary to popular opinion, "Shaka" was
almost entirely financed and produced by SABC). He sued the
South African government and received a restraining order in Vienna.
According to this order, every page of the script had to be signed by
all parties (in and out of South Africa). This guaranteed that the
script that was shot was indeed the script he had conceived. It was
important to him that no propaganda could be added to the piece so as to further the goal of apartheid.
