Mazisi Kunene | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mazisi kaMdabuli Kunene 12 May 1930 Durban, South Africa |
| Died | 11 August 2006 (aged 76) Durban, South Africa |
| Alma mater | University of Natal |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Notable work | Emperor Shaka the Great |
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. While in exile from South Africa's apartheid regime, Kunene was an active supporter and organiser of the anti-apartheid movement in Europe and Africa. He later taught at the University of California, Los Angeles, and become Africa's and South Africa's first poet laureate.