The Sunday News
FRIDAY 26 September, 2014 was characterised by pomp and ceremony. The venue was the John Knight Cinema Room at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The Zimbabwe Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association (Zana) had organised a literary event to honour Lassie Ndondo the pioneering woman writer in Zimbabwe. Attendance was exceptionally high on this fateful day. The one person who was present and very active throughout the day was Bernard Dima Ndlovu, affectionately known as BD. Little did we know we were bidding him farewell as he passed on later that night.
A prolific novelist and poet, BD had in his writing career penned no less than 17 books. He held a lot of promise and at the time of his demise he had not shown any signs of slowing down or what we might term literary fatigue. His literary works are read in primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions. Many a student that has passed through the post-independence Zimbabwean education system will recall a book or two by BD that was a prescribed set.
BD was born on 9 September 1959 at Ndamuleni in Lupane within Chief Mabhikwa Khumalo’s jurisdiction. He did his primary education at Silwane Primary School in the 1960s. He then proceeded to do Junior Certificate (JC) at Hope Fountain Mission after which he entered the world of work. He joined the tyre manufacturer Dunlop in Bulawayo where at one time he became personnel officer within the Human Resources Department. He served at Dunlop for a period spanning over 20 years.
It was knowledge of personnel issues that saw him become a lecturer for the Institute of Personnel Management Zimbabwe (IPMZ). He trained several managers of companies in charge of personnel matters. Much later in his life, in 2001, he was involved in teaching company managers the rudiments of the SiNdebele language. “In 2001 BD became a director of Ndebele private lessons to managers who wanted to learn the Ndebele language,” recalls Pauline Mpande who is familiar with BD’s literary career.
In 1985 BD married Kwanele Ncube from Esigodini under Chief Mthonzima Gwebu. The two had a total of seven children: five boys and two girls. They have three grandchildren. One boy passed on while BD was working in South Africa. It was that tragedy that prompted him to come back home after a working stint in Johannesburg lasting just over two years.
BD’s literary career amounts to a narrative of the literary arts not only in Bulawayo and Matabeleland but indeed the whole of Zimbabwe. Soon after independence he was among the aspiring writers that went to Salisbury (now Harare) to attend a two-week literary workshop organised by the Rhodesia Literature Bureau (RLB), since defunct. The venue for the workshop was Ranche House College whose principal then was Bertha Musora.
In the delegation from Bulawayo were the following, among others: Mthandazo Ndema Ngwenya, Ndabezinhle Sigogo (the leader of delegation who then was working for the Rhodesia Literature Bureau, LC Sidambe, Envoy David Ndoda, Themba Ncube, Doris Nomathemba Ndlovu (nee Mabhena), Siphiwo Mabhena, Doris Dube, Ndimande, J Ngulube, Reverend Christopher Nyoni, Florence Nkobi, Cont Mhlanga, Thiyiwe Bafana Khumalo, Albert Nyathi (then a pupil at Msitheli Secondary School), Pathisa Nyathi and BD himself.
We were being given lectures on how to write. Among our lecturers were Musaemura Zimunya, SJ Nondo, Charles Mungoshi, Solomon Mutsvairo and a Mr Pfende. One visitor of note at the time of our stay in Salisbury was Winnie Mandela who brought her book to be critiqued by the workshop attendees.
The evenings were taken up by social activities and rehearsals of literary pieces that we put together. A number of places of interest were visited including Domboshawa, the University of Zimbabwe, and the Salisbury Kopje. We also visited the National Heroes Acre at the time when George Silundika was the only hero interred there.
Following the advent of independence there was increased interest in the literary arts. The Rhodesia Literature Bureau under Krogh and later Bisset Chitsike was active. In 1984 the Zimbabwe Writers Union (Ziwu) was established with branches in Gweru, Harare and Bulawayo. Chenjerai Hove was national chairman while Musaemura Zimunya was the secretary general. BD was an active member of Ziwu Bulawayo branch whose executive was led by Mthandazo Ndema Ngwenya and Ndabezinhle Sigogo. The branch meetings were being held at St Patrick’s at the time when Mr Silonda was the school head.
BD started writing poetry and some of his poems appeared in the anthology titled “Umdumo Wezinkondlo.” In that anthology, compiled before his marriage, there is a piece dedicated to his future wife Kwanele. The poem was titled “Vulindlebe Nkosazana.” The two had been dating for eight years prior to their marriage in 1985. More of his poems appear in the anthology titled, “Ezivusa Usinga”.
BD was a prolific writer penning poem after poem and book after book. Some of his more familiar titles are, Laphuma Elinye Lingakatshoni,” “Umzila Kawulandelwa,” and “Umvuzo Wezinyembezi” which was a set text for A-level classes. I remember when he and I travelled to Inyathi Mission last year to help the students with our set books.
Not only did BD write books, but he had become a publisher, having set up Ibhidi Publishers to be the vehicle for that endeavour. Ibhidi Publishers was briefly inactive when BD was doing a short stint in South Africa. He was, before his death, in the process of revitalising his publishing house. A number of publishing houses had been set up to advance the cause of publishing especially in the SiNdebele language: Usiba Publishers by Felix Moyo, Radiant Publishers by Barbara Nkala and Amagugu Publishers by Pathisa Nyathi.
A novel titled “Impilo Injalo” by one Mkhwananzi from Victoria Falls had been completed and was merely awaiting printing. At the time of his untimely death BD had put together an anthology titled “Amaqhawe 1” for use by A-level classes in 2015. In his anthology he embraced heroes from different epochs. BD loved history and this is reflected in his books that are set in historical times. He spent quite some time with me seeking historical information to use in his novels. Recently he told me about an anthology which was due for launch in October. I contributed several poems to the proposed anthology.
In honour of his late son BD had initiated a new series for children’s books titled “Amabhombo.” His son Menelisi Qoq’ iqiniso loved amabhombo, a type of locust. BD was not new to children’s literature. In the 1990s he was part of a team that worked with Norwegian children’s writers. In the project called Ezomdabu were the following: BD, Ndabezinhle Sigogo, Envoy David Ndoda, Sibongile Mnkandla, Godfrey Moyo and Pathisa Nyathi. Quite many children’s books were produced at the time. The books were well illustrated by, among others, Newman Ndlovu. In fact BD was to pen several children’s books some jointly with Ndabezinhle Sigogo and Brian Mzana Mthimkhulu. The following are some of the titles: “Umvundla Uqila uNdlovu” and “Udubo LukaMvubu”.
Furthermore, BD mentored a lot of young budding writers such as Prince Sibanda whose first novel titled “UPhunyuka Bemphethe” was among those books launched last Friday. I launched my own titled, “The History and Culture of the Babirwa of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.” BD launched Sibanda’s book and spent quality time with pupils from Premier High School in Pumula South. In fact, BD is well known for assisting school pupils with his poetry. He was by all accounts a poet, novelist and teacher of both these.
His writing prowess did not go unnoticed. As a result, he received literary awards. The most prestigious of these was “the Best 75 Books” which was organised by Zimbabwe’s premier literary organisation the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF). He won two Nama awards, one of which was in the children’s category. One of these was won in 2004.
When Ziwu Bulawayo branch folded, the Zimbabwe Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association was established through the efforts of Virginia Phiri. When economic times became untenable Zana was tottering and was revived by Virginia Phiri and has, since then, grown from strength to strength. The former members of Ziwu were absorbed into Zana: Sibongile Mnkandla, Penyai, Pauline Mpande, Pathisa Nyathi and a few other writers. BD was active in Zana and the meeting organised to honour Lassie Ndondo turned out to be the last day of his life. He indeed worked for the literary arts right up to the end of his life. We are lucky to have rubbed shoulders with one so well endowed with literary skills, passion and immense determination.
Undoubtedly our community is the poorer for losing one like BD. May his very dear soul rest in eternal peace. Uze usikhonzele kuboNdabezinhle Sigogo, oMthandazo Ndema Ngwenya labo Mayford Sibanda kunye labanye owathwala labo ijogwe lokuloba!
