The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Sunday Life Reporter
THE life of the late Zimbabwean Vice-President, veteran nationalist and father figure, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo will be commemorated on Saturday in South Africa, with a number of Zimbabweans based in the country converging on Hillbrow Theatre for the event.
The event, which is being organised by the Matabeleland Entertainment News crew will be held on 1 July, the date of his death at Hillbrow Theatre, with a huge number of artistes both based there and in Zimbabwe expected to perform.
The celebrations are intended to educate people from respective communities about the impact that Joshua Nkomo had in liberating Zimbabwe.
“. . . and ensuring that Zimbabwe is free from any economic challenges, as well as tribalism and political disputes, with a particular emphasis on the role he played on the liberation struggle and as the Vice- President of Zimbabwe.
“We believe that Joshua Nkomo played a significant role in ensuring the liberation of Zimbabwe,” said one of the organisers Mongezi Mpofu.
“We will be celebrating the life and good works of our hero, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo from 12 mid-day at the Hillbrow Theatre Johannesburg. We will celebrate his life through song, cultural dances, poetry and miming acts,” he said in an interview.
Mpofu said they had also brought on board a couple of South African artistes who would provide entertainment during the commemorations. Besides song and dance, Mpofu said there would be a series of lectures from some Zimbabwean community leaders based in South Africa.
The commemorations have been running annually since 2013 organised by a group of Zimbabwean artistes under Matabeleland Entertainment News, a community initiative organisation that dedicates time to bring Zimbabweans in the diaspora together as a way of restoring their identity and celebrating their heroes.
The event will be supported by groups such as Shilolo Media and Hwehhu media, among a brood of Zimbabwean artistes based in South Africa. Another of the organisers, Mothusi Bashimane, who is also set to showcase his comedy film — Madlela Skhobokhobo said they were proud sons of the soil, who wanted to spread Dr Nkomo’s legacy. “Dr Nkomo was a symbol of unity and it is through these community initiatives that we unite and conscientise our people on ubuntu, taking pride in our identity wherever we are in the world and preserve our heritage and history that makes us who we are,” said Bashimane.
