The world has praised kings and has always recognized their efforts, but as we all know, behind every successful king stands a very smart and strong queen. But do queens really get the credit they deserve when it counts the most?

Who better to profile than our very own queen of the Ubuntu Kingdom, Queen Thandiwena. But we can’t look at the queen without tracking back to the queen mother Chawezi. There are many similarities between the two of them and many might even say that Queen Thandiwena took a few pages out of her mother’s interesting book.

A true queen:

Rules with a firm-but-fair hand

Despite the challenges of having the most powerful role in the land, there are times where hard decisions need to be made and terrible steps need to be taken, but all that can be done differently, with violence being the last resort.

Is as conniving and manipulative as her counterparts

It’s all well and good to be fair and understanding when you’re a leader but your opponents will always find a way to use that against you. This is why most leaders opt to always be one step ahead and never reveal their weaknesses. A queen learns all this and adds a little more spice to it. 

Is not afraid to get her hands dirty

“With power comes great responsibility” – and sometimes that responsibility requires that the queen gets her hands dirty. If there’s a war to be fought, she needs to be in the forefront, leading the troops. If there’s a negotiation to be had, she’s outlining the terms and conditions, and if there’s a celebration, trust that she’ll be sexiest woman in the room, oozing power.

Has a good heart

We can’t avoid it, women are usually the epitome of softeners and love. That’s what differentiates men from women. Women are nurturers and always want to heal and protect everything and everyone. This has been seen as a weakness in many nations, for many years. But who better to heal a nation that’s been through wars and dictators, than a woman whose main drive is to heal and protect? A good-hearted woman. 

So what do all the lovely queens out there say? Did we at least get close to what a true queen might be? Don’t be shy, let us know what you think and get the conversation going.

And while you’re at it, also remember that #ZMUbuntu airs every Monday – Wednesday at 21:30hrs on #ZambeziMagic DStv Channel 162.