The Zulu tribal chief is called an `inkosi`. He is regarded by his people as a father figure – the source of their wealth and well being, the spiritual symbol of his people and the man who determines their fate. He is also an arbiter and a person of reverence and respect. Dingane was the half brother of the famous king Shaka and Dingane, who had contested the throne, had Shaka assasinated in 1828 and then became king himself.
