Makers and Shapers Profile

Richard Patrick

Commissioned Contributor

[195-] - August 2008

[Source - Chloe Rushovich for FHYA, 2017, using Bob Forrester's biography of Richard Patrick: Richard 'Mdvumowencwala' Patrick was born in the mid-1950s in England. He moved to the Cape Town after he finished his A-levels. He travelled around southern Africa, working as on and off as a waiter, and eventually settled in Swaziland. His first job in Swaziland was teaching English at a government school in Bulembu. He began interviewing people in Swaziland in the early 80s after having read James Matsebula's "History of Swaziland". He worked as a photo archivist at the "Times of Swaziland". He published Swazi lineages in the paper, and wrote articles on history. He joined a regiment and was given the name Mdvumowencwala. He then worked as a researcher in the National Museum in Lobamba. He married Lungile Ndlovu and, with her, had two sons, Rowan and William. Ndlovu died soon after, and Patrick hired Sizakele Vilane to look after his sons. He later married Vilane. He continued to write Swazi histories, and later wrote about the causes of death amongst the Roman Emperors from the end of the Republic to the fall of Rome, as well as a similar work about the kings and queens of England. He died in August of 2008.]