Jo’burg celebrates Nkomo day

MATABELELAND Entertainment News will present an annual Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo celebration through arts at the Hillbrow Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday July 25 from 1:30pm till late.
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The Late Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo

MATABELELAND Entertainment News will present an annual Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo celebration through arts at the Hillbrow Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday July 25 from 1:30pm till late.

BY SHARON SIBINDI

Mongezi Mpofu, the organiser, confirmed the event to Southern Eye Lifestyle yesterday.

“Matabeleland Entertainment News will again host the annual Dr Joshua Nkomo celebrations 2015. Every year on the last weekend of the month July the late hero passed on, we bring together Zimbabweans in the Diaspora under the banner of celebrating the life of Dr Joshua Nkomo through arts.

The event will take place at the Hillbrow Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 25 and entrance is free to everyone. Joshua Nkomo a national leader whose dream was to unify the country, someone who saw beyond tribe and race, a warrior who fought against colonisation, defied odds and challenged racial injustices. It is this legacy that we celebrate and wish to honour through this historic event,” he said.

Mpofu said they aimed at preaching and carrying forward Nkomo’s values they believed could heal the State.

“Chibwechitedza, uMafukufuku, suffered and survived a lot during the struggle for liberation, but his dream gave him power to never give up. Today we are faced by a number of challenges in our own struggle as a people and a nation, thus we need to follow Joshua Nkomo’s footsteps and preach and practise love and tolerance. Each one of us has a responsibility to contribute to our community and nation at large. General Josh’s life was dedicated to the people he sacrificed a lot for hence we need to celebrate and honour his life,” he said.

Mpofu said through this event they would recognise and celebrate the uniqueness, history, culture, tradition and fallen sons and daughters of the land. He said this year they would give a lecture on the life of icons that worked and walked with Nkomo with this year’s focus on Lieutenant General Lookout Khalisabantu Mafela Masuku who commanded the Zimbabwe African People’s Revolutionary Army.

Masuku was born on April 7 1940 died on April 5 1986, a former guerrilla who fought bravely for black emancipation.

Mpofu said the Nkomo celebrations through arts always give platform to artistes based in South Africa to showcase their work through song, dance, theatre, comedy and poetry.

“This year’s event has the following line-up: Rumba-Tshovatshova giants Mlambos Express Band, The Super Legends, Queen of Dance, Vivian Nomakanjani, theatre groups from Bulawayo – Victory Siyanqoba, maskandi groups – Mehlokazulu, Zinjaziyamluma, Insukamini, Abafana BakaGodlwayo, the peoples’ poet Bongani Mncube, Ntando Hwehu yeBukalanga, Bukalanga Gwamuka Traditional Dance, isichathamiya/imbube White umfolosi, Dupute Warriors, Ithemba Lensindiso, Big 5 and TK Brothers, Thulie Khumalo and many more.

Invited guests to grace the occasion are among others the Nkomo family, Thandiwe B and trustee of JNNF, Matojeni Cultural Centre, traditional leaders, business people, community and cultural groups who will be given an opportunity to educate and motivate people to take pride on our identity. There would also be handing out of the Joshua Nkomo Leadership Award and The Matabeleland Entertainment News Recognition Award,” Mpofu said

He added: “Dr Joshua Nkomo was a symbol of unity and it is through such community initiatives we would unite and conscientise our people on ubuntu, take pride in our identity wherever we are in the world and preserve our heritage and history that make us who we are.”