BY PRESTIGE MUNTANGA SOUTH AFRICA-BASED Zimbabwean agency, Becky Casting Agency has withdrawn the casting of Queen Lozikeyi film following a serious misunderstanding with the authors of the story.
The film was set to portray the contribution of Lozikeyi Dlodlo, Queen of Ndebele’s in Anglo Ndebele war as well as honouring her legacy based on the book Queen Lozikeyi.
Last month the authors of Queen Lozikeyi, Bruce Karima and assistant writer Zanele Mel Dube accused Becky Casting Agency of using the book to cast the film without their consent.
Founder and director of Becky Casting Agency, Bekezela “Becky” Dube told NewsDay Life & Style that her dream to preserve the history of Ndebeles and keep Queen Lozikeyi’s legacy alive had been shattered.
“I have withdrawn the Queen Lozikeyi project because of the noise related to the story. We were at a very early stage researching about the story anyway,” she said.
“For the first time as an arts organisation we were going to produce a feature film to honour the queen of the Ndebele tribe. The production was supposed to be shot next year as the script writing was still in progress, but it’s unfortunate we won’t be continuing with the project.”
The film was set to be shot at locations around Zimbabwe, particularly in Matabeleland South province.
Lozikeyi was one of the favourite wives of Lobengula and a senior queen, until 1893. She had no sons, only daughters, yet even so was influential in the attempt to have the son of a co-wife serve as her husband’s successor.
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She played an important role in the Anglo-Matabele war of 1896 as she was in charge of the king’s army.
Lozikeyi ensured that the army had enough ammunition ahead of the 1896 war by using the weaponry her husband did not use in the first Anglo-Matabele war.
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