In 1953 he was appointed assistant to the Zulu king Cyprian, a position he held until 1968. He was elected leader of Zululand (later KwaZulu) in 1970 and was responsible for the revival of the Inkatha movement, of which he became leader in 1975. He was appointed Minister of Home Affairs in Nelson Mandela’s Cabinet (1994), but was dismissed by Thabo Mbeki following the 2004 elections.