King Makhado (c. 1839–1895), also known as the "Lion of the North," was a revered 19th-century monarch of the Singo dynasty in the Venda Kingdom of South Africa. He successfully united and defended the VhaVenda people, maintaining independence for his kingdom throughout most of his reign. This life-size bronze figure honours Chief Makhado and forms part of the National Heritage Foundation’s Long Walk to Freedom project. The work belongs to André Prinsloo’s body of commemorative figurative sculpture, in which historical figures are represented through a strong, recognisable human presence. Created in 2012, it reflects the project’s aim of preserving South African histories and struggle legacies in public sculpture.