LEADERSHIP BY TERROR 183participate in executions were bonded to his atrocities; they shared in
the guilt, even if, like Shaka, they felt none.
We can only imagine how Shaka ’ s inner circle must have felt, con-
stantly subjected to his whimsically tyrannical behavior. It was obviously
far too dangerous to offer an honest opinion. But given Shaka ’ s unpre-
dictability, even fl attery had its dangers. It tended to make the king
suspicious and often triggered a paranoid response. That left only total
submissiveness and passive dependency; and often even these were not
enough. The assegai in Shaka ’ s hand moved more quickly than thought,
it seemed. Toward the end of his reign, that spear of death spoke as
loudly in the royal kraal as it had earlier spoken on the battlefi eld.
A tyranny of self-deception
Given the danger of mere proximity to Shaka, the obvious question is,
why did his henchmen hang around? Why did they not fl ee rather than
become active collaborators in his terror? The most likely answer is that
they had very little choice. If someone was asked to be part of Shaka ’ s
entourage, refusal was not an option. Any transgression of the king ’ s
wishes invited execution. Fleeing the territory as a whole was not an
attractive proposition either. First, Shaka had created such a large nation
that it was diffi cult to get beyond its range of power. Second, he had
created a wasteland around his empire. Where there were people at all,
the barren territory had forced some to resort to cannibalism.
Crumbs of Power for the King ’ s Dogs
Still, when things were at their worst, why was there not a united rebel-
lion against Shaka ’ s atrocities? The answer lies in human nature. There
were benefi ts to be had from being close to the king. Shaka ’ s activities
gratifi ed a number of psychosocial needs in those followers who earned
the king ’ s favor. The royal kraal may have been a place of high risk, but
it was also a place of great reward. A hub of exciting action, it offered
great contrast to the rather humdrum, pastoral existence that the Zulu
had been born into.
The royal kraal was the place to be seen. There were drills, social
events (including dances), courtships, and other interesting activities. As
in the heyday of Louis XIV ’ s Versailles, to be somebody, one had to be
part of the inner circle. Exclusion from the royal kraal was equated with
oblivion; it was as if the person did not exist. Best of all, the royal kraal