Mazisi (Raymond) Kunene (12 May 1930 – 11 August 2006) was a South African poet best known for his translation of the epic Zulu poem Emperor Shaka the Great.
[2] From very early in his childhood he began writing poetry and short stories in Zulu, and by the age of 11 he was being published in local papers.
[4] His Master's thesis was titled An Analytical Survey of Zulu Poetry, Both Traditional and Modern.
[1][4] Kunene was closely affiliated with the African National Congress (ANC), quickly becoming their main representative in Europe and the United States in 1962.
[6] In 1969, he wrote an introduction to the translation by John Berger and Anna Bostock of Aimé Césaire's Return to My Native Land.
World Literature Today contributor Christopher Larson described it as "a monumental undertaking and achievement by any standards".