Henry Cele () (30 January 1941 – 2 November 2007) was a South African actor noted for his portrayal of the great Zulu Warrior King

Shaka kaSenzangakhona Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms tha ...

in the South African television miniseries ''

Shaka Zulu Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that ...

'' (1986) as well as in the television movie ''Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior'' 15 years later.

Biography

Henry Cele was born on 20 June 1941 in

KwaMashu KwaMashu is a township north of Durban, South Africa. The name is in honour of Sir Marshall Campbell and means ''Place of Marshall''. KwaMashu is bordered by Newlands East to the south, Newlands West to the west, Ntuzuma to the north, Phoenix t ...

, Durban, South Africa. As a member of the Cele family he was referred to by his clan name Ndosi (Bavela KwaMthetwa), or Magaye.

As an athlete

Cele, nicknamed "Black Cat" for his prowess as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

, played for Aces United in the old

South African Soccer League The South African Soccer League (SASL) was an association football league based in South Africa. It was formed in 1961 and folded in 1967. It was established by the South African Soccer Federation which represented the black African, Coloured and ...

(SASL) in the 1960s. He also played for Lamontville Golden Arrows f.c soccer team in

Lamontville Lamontville is a town in EThekwini in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Township south of Durban, on the Umlaas River and next to Mobeni. It was laid out in 1930 and named after the Revd Archibald Lamont Archibald Lamont (21 ...

Township and coached a professional soccer club in South Africa until his death. On Saturdays, he played for Durity Football Club in the Commercial Football League in Durban.

As an actor

Shaka of Zululand statue 2015 London (1)

As an actor, Cele was an international star, performing in his native South Africa and in the United States as well. He was selected for the role of Shaka in the miniseries after performing the same role in a South African stage production of ''Shaka Zulu.'' Cele was highlighted in the African American ''

Jet Magazine ''Jet'' is an American weekly digital magazine focusing on news, culture, and entertainment related to the African-American community. Founded in November 1951 by John H. Johnson of the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois, the magazi ...

'' (3 November 1986 issue, page 57) regarding his role in ''Shaka Zulu–The Mini Series.'' He appeared in major roles in South African movies and television series programs as well as international films.

Later years and death

In later years, Cele moved from his suburban home in Glenmore, south of Durban, and returned to his hometown in KwaMashu township. Cele died on 2 December 2007 at St Augustine's Hospital in Durban. He is buried at the Stellawood Cemetery in Durban

eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality created in 2000, that includes the city of Durban, South Africa and surrounding towns. eThekwini is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The majo ...

, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Filmography

* ''Bush Shrink'' (1988), Catambilo * '' Blind Justice'' (1988), Kamisu * ''Rage to Kill'' (1988), Wally Arn * ''Mercenary Fighters'' (1988), Jaunde * ''The Last Samurai'' (1988), General Zohani * ''

'' (1986-1989), Shaka - TV mini-series, episodes 1-10 * ''In the Name of Blood'' (1989), Pheto * ''The Tangent Affair'' (1989), B.J. Rickson * ''

Schweitzer Schweitzer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albert Schweitzer, German theologian, musician, physician, and medical missionary, winner of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize * Anton Schweitzer, opera composer * Brian Schweitzer, for ...

'' (1990), Oganga * ''The Rutanga Tapes'' (1990), Samaani * ''Killer Instinct'' (1990), Samaani * ''Curse III: Blood Sacrifice'' (1990), Mletch * ''Point of Impact'' (1990), Titus * ''Sweating Bullets'' (1990), Mosoeu * ''Deal of a Lifetime'' (1990), Mosoeu * ''Ipi Tombi'' (1990), Duke * ''

The Ghost and the Darkness ''The Ghost and the Darkness'' is a 1996 American historical adventure film directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas. The screenplay, written by William Goldman, is a fictionalized account of the Tsavo man-eaters, ...

'' (1996), Mahina * ''Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior'' (2001), Shaka Zulu"Watch Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior (2001)"
''

OVGuide OVGuide was a website aggregator which allowed users to find online video content. The company was acquired by FOTV Media Networks Inc. for over $10M in 2016. -OVGuide is no longer available- Included sites Sites are submitted by users and sele ...

Awards

* Golden Plumes Award

References

External links

*
King Shaka Zulu - South Africa History Online

Memorial Tribute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cele, Henry 1941 births 2007 deaths South African male television actors South African soccer players Association football goalkeepers Actors from Durban Infectious disease deaths in South Africa Zulu people South African male film actors