The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube and Lungile Tshuma Sunday News Reporters
COMMEMORATIONS to mark the 15th anniversary of the death of Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo are at an advanced stage with the organisers revealing that this year the event would be done the traditional way with a ceremony set to be held at a site at the base of the Njelele shrine.
The event organisers, the Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement, revealed that while a ceremony would be held at Bulawayo’s Stanley Square this Tuesday, villagers in Matopo’s Halale village had requested that a traditional ceremony be held at a site where the late Father Zimbabwe used to frequent before conducting some traditional rites at Njelele.
Speaking at the Blue Lagoon shopping complex on Friday, the late Dr Nkomo’s son Mr Sibangilizwe Nkomo said they had covered much ground in preparing for the event and urged people to attend in their numbers in honour of Dr Nkomo’s revolutionary work.
“On Tuesday we will be doing exactly what the late Vice President used to do. There will be traditional dances and rituals to be done at Halale, being led by the villagers. The site where these rituals will be held is where Dr Nkomo used to visit frequently during his lifetime and hold similar rituals before going to Njelele.
“The villagers consider this place highly and named it after the late Vice President, with one tree where he used to sit under being named emshasheni kamdala and a rock where he used to sit while watching traditional dances called idwala likaMafukufuku” said Mr Nkomo.
He revealed that villagers were already preparing the beef, opaque beer and site where the ceremony would be held.
“We welcomed the call by Halale villagers to commemorate the death of Father Zimbabwe. This is the place where Dr Nkomo used to gather villagers and perform traditional rituals with them.
“So we are simply following his footsteps and all we are doing is in the name of peace and unity in the country. I encourage people to attend this occasion as it is not for any political party or individuals but for all citizens,” said Mr Nkomo.
When a Sunday News crew visited the site where the traditional ceremony will be held at Halale village, which is just at the base of the Njelele mountains, villagers were busy preparing the site, with some already brewing the traditional beer.
“We do not respect Dr Nkomo because of his position as the Vice President but for his deeds, I remember he used to come here with Filabusi’s Chief Vezi and sit with the village’s elders and discuss various political related issues, in the evening they would then hold various traditional rites before proceeding to Njelele.
“What I remember the most is that he was particular about cutting down traditional fruit bearing trees, no matter how small they were, these including umthunduluka, umwawa, umqokolo, umsuma and umhagawuwe, he would not tell you directly but when you move closer to eat he would just stand by it. He always spoke of the need for the construction of houses in the area where people would sleep before going up to Njelele,” said 82-year-old Mr Jakobe Sibanda, who is chairing the event’s local organising committee.
Meanwhile, Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement national chairman, Mr Mehluli Moyo revealed that for the main function in Bulawayo, they will start with a walk dubbed General Josh 4-kilometre walk to healing, where they would walk from Blue Lagoon at Renkini to the Dr Nkomo statue in the city centre, where there would be a few speeches before they proceed to Stanley Square in Makokoba.
“We are working with various schools and arts groups in the city who will lead this walk together with Matojeni Cultural Society and the army band and I must say the response we have received is quite encouraging.
“This will not be a political event, which is why we are saying people will not be allowed to wear any political regalia during the event,” said Mr Moyo.
Over the past couple of weeks a number of fund raising activities have been held in the city for the success of the event, these including a dinner where the guest of honour was the Senior Minister of State, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and a cultural fundraising exhibition held at the National Gallery in Bulawayo.
Dr Nkomo died on 1 July 1999 and was accorded national hero status.
