The Sunday News
HE is famously known in the streets of Bulawayo by the nom de plume Lobengula. His stature and bulging stomach akin to that depicted in pictures of the last Ndebele monarch, King Lobengula, earned him the moniker.
While King Lobengula is a revered cultural and political figure, not only in Bulawayo but across the entire country, his 21st Century “incarnate” is far from being respected.
Instead, he is a feared character and a victim of numerous stereotypes, principally because of his alleged violent streaks.
Lobengula’s antics often spook many into scurrying for safety, such that most people prefer keeping a safe distance away from him when they meet him in town.
Some Bulawayo residents have testified to being attacked by Lobengula, justifying their fear for the man.
The chap seems to have earned himself legendary status, albeit for the wrong reasons.
Last week Sunday News took on a mission to uncover the character behind Lobengula, who paradoxically carries the name of a great king and yet has a reputation of a villain.
Our mission led us to a very interesting discovery. Lobengula may actually be far from what society thinks of him. He leads a normal life like any other citizen.
Lobengula is employed at Bulawayo Tyre Services where he does menial jobs and is actually a breadwinner for his elderly mother.
He has been working at the firm for about 30 years and remains one of the most trusted and faithful employees at the company.
Surprised? It is in order. The Sunday News crew was equally amazed after conducting a normal and coherent 30 minute conversation with Lobengula whose real name is Edward Mpofu.
If anything, Lobengula might be a two faced character, normal by day and a nut after hours — at least in the eyes of the unforgiving members of society.
Mpofu or Lobengula, who no longer remembers his age, confesses that at some stage in his life he lost his marbles, blaming it on evil spirits, but believes he is now over it and is as normal as any other human being.
He yearns for acceptance in mainstream society, approval society appear reluctant to render.
“I used to be mad a long time ago but that is in the past now. There were some evil spirits that were tormenting me now and again, causing me to get into feats of anger.
“I was helped by Prophet Dube from my mother’s church who cast out the spirits and I feel normal now,” he said.
Speaking on his alleged violent streaks, Lobengula declined that he was a volatile character but said people often mistake his “comical” antics as attempts to attack them.
He said the urge to perform pranks and spoofs on people usually comes after he has had one or two bottles of the holy waters and has nothing to do with his mental state.
“I like having fun and at times when I’m drunk I feel like having fun with people but people run away because they think I will be attacking them. I’m not a violent person, I’m normal like everyone else,” he said.
Lobengula, a Grade Three drop out at Hope Fountain Primary School, lives in Burnside with his mother Ms Matama Ndlovu and is the second born in a family of three.
His elder brother moved to South Africa, while his younger sister is now staying in Nyamandlovu in Matabeleland North Province where she is married.
Lobengula’s siblings hardly support him financially, leaving him to fend for himself and his mother.
Asked on how he feels about people calling him Lobengula and treating him like a madman, the bright jolly-faced chap said he took no offence in that, but hopes society’s attitude towards him would change with time.
Mr Jabulani Ncube, Lobengula’s supervisor at Bulawayo Tyre Services, profiled him as a dependable and faithful employee.
He professed having no problems with Lobengula, confirming him as a normal employee who carried out his duties without any problems.
“He is not a violent person. Actually he is one of the most dependable people here. He is the one who mans our gate and we have not had any reports of him harassing our customers. He is just as normal as anyone of us here.
“Some of our clients freak out when they see him opening the gate for them and ask us why we entertain him here not knowing that he is actually part of us. They only start to appreciate that he is normal after interacting with him,” said Mr Ncube.
A female employee at Bulawayo Tyre Services who shied away from being named, said Lobengula had nothing on him to suggest that he was mentally unwell as he performed tasks as instructed without making mistakes.
Mr Ncube narrated Lobengula’s history, part of which is the reason many people have failed to forgive him and still treat him as an outcast, despite him claiming to be a better person now.
Lobengula, according to Mr Ncube, once served a brief stint at Bulawayo Prison (formerly Grey Prison) in the 80s after he caused the death of a toddler.
Lobengula is said to have spooked the toddler who was in the company of his mother and the infant ran away, straying into the road where he was run over by a car.
Upon his release from prison he became destitute, roaming around the streets of Bulawayo.
“He would spend most of his time at our branch in town. Mr Sam Ncube the owner of Bulawayo Tyre Services was touched by his plight and started offering him food and clothes.
“The boss then thought of giving Lobengula a job but felt employing him in town would not be a good idea. He then decided to offer him employment here in Belmont when this place was still a bush.
“Lobengula is one of the people who helped clear this stand back in the 1980s and was there when the first building was built. He has been working here for over 30 years and I found him here when I joined the company. The boss trusts him,” said Mr Ncube.
The Bulawayo Tyre Services director could not be reached for comment on how he relates with his employee with whom he has a long and interesting history.
Mr Ncube was said to be out of town attending a funeral when Sunday News visited his Belmont firm.
