‘I celebrate you’ — Nomzamo Mbatha tips her hat to women of ‘Shaka iLembe’

Nomzamo Mbatha wrapped up Women's Month by celebrating the women cast on Shaka iLembe

Taking to her Instagram timeline on Thursday, the actress and executive producer  penned a special note and shared snaps of the women for whom she was taking her hat off.  

"To the queens of #ShakaiLembeMzansi. For the longest time history had only told the narrow gaze of how the world viewed ‘her’. Yet  the deepest quest was to find how she viewed the world, what she thought of it, what she saw herself become of it and how she planned on shaping it. Leaving her mark … forever changed," she wrote.

"As we close off Women’s Month this August, I hope we honour the women inside of us. The brave parts, the afraid parts, the full parts, the empty parts, the alive parts. Happy Women's Month to all who recognise and celebrate it. I celebrate them. I celebrate you."

Previously speaking to TshisaLIVE, Nomzamo said wearing the executive producer hat wasn't an easy transition.

“Especially because my fellow actors know me as an actor, so I always just tread as a little wall flower, but learning more than talking. For me it's been a very nerve-wracking, stretching and learning experience [with] lots of pressure to be able to be authentic, truthful and of excellence.”  

It took nearly six years for the Bomb Productions team to research and make sure they paid attention to even the smallest detail when putting the show together.

“I don't say it would have done the story justice if we wanted to sanitise it. We're not sanitising language, we're not sanitising the way of life. I think if we wanted to give it a different eye that is more European, it would take away from the authenticity and that would immediately be jarring to the viewer."