The Zulu were fine with it. Anyone else’s objections can go straight into the round file.
I just watched it for the first time last month after a FR post. Based on actual events. They hired locals. I think it was the locals that determined that people related to men that fought in the battle got first preference to be in the movie.
One recalls that the first thing the Zulus did was to deal with some guys who broke discipline and were about to, uh... well, anyone who saw Zulu knows what one is referring to.