Henry Cele

Henry Cele (20 June 1941 – 2 December 2007) was a South African football player and actor. In the 1960s Cele became a goal keeper for the South African Soccer League and played the sport until 1978. In 1981, he was asked to audition for the role of the Zulu Warrior King Shaka kaSenzangakhona on stage for a production that played for a year. For the 1986 television miniseries Shaka Zulu, he reprised the role and gained significant fame worldwide. Following this success, he appeared in roles in films and television. In 2001, he returned to the role of Shaka for the television movie Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior 15 years after the original. In 2007, Cele died after spending two weeks in the hospital due to a chest infection. Early life On 20 June 1949, Cele was born in KwaMashu, Durban, South Africa. Within his family, he was referred to by his clan name Ndosi (Bavela KwaMthetwa), or Magaye. Cele was raised by his grandmother, at the age of 16 due to financial problems he had to leave school and turned to sports.