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Freedom Mutanda-Lifestyle Correspondent
They say it runs in the family.
Tariro and Esnath Mhlanga brought the house down at Mutema High School in Chipinge as their rich Ndau lyrics reverberated from the loud speakers, much to the enjoyment of the bumper crowd at the 2023 Zanu PF campaign launch by President Mnangagwa last Saturday.
Their performance was a spectacle which left sweet memories for many.
Back in March this year, Tariro, a Grade 7 learner at Maronga Primary School, had invited President Mnangagwa to Chipinge.
She said as young people, they wanted to see the President in the person to tell him how they appreciated him and his stance against drug and alcohol abuse.
At the time, it appeared to be virtually impossible for a young girl to have her dream come true, but 24 June 2023 proved that nothing is impossible when it comes to a listening President.
Growing up in Maronga village under Chief Musikavanhu, the father, Tineyi Mhlanga, interacted with his grandfather and grandmother who taught him the nuances of Ndau culture.
”I fell in love with my language and culture from that time,” recalls Mr Mhlanga, the father of the two poets.
His daughters have more than taken a leaf from their father, who is also a trained teacher, though he has not joined the public service as yet.
In 2021, the two siblings were among the winning participants in the National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) provincial public speaking and poetry recital competitions.
It is instructive to note that Mr Mhlanga writes the poetry and then trains the girls until they are so good that they can perform in public.
“Our father takes us through the steps and when a Ndau word is not pronounced in the manner it has to be, our father tells us to stop and he instructs us to do it in the exact way we should do it,” Tariro, the elder sibling, said.
Esnath was pensive during the interview, but her voice is assertive as she hammers her point.
As she said ”kuqebura”, the Ndauness of it is brought home to those who appreciate the shaking of hands between the siblings and President Mnangagwa, on the never-to-be-forgotten Saturday, an event she plaintively cried for back in March.
At arguably the biggest occasion of their lives, the siblings did not disappoint as their poetry, powered by the PA system, delighted the thousands who marvelled at the lyrical quality of the girls.
Coached by the father and the Chibuwe High School sociology teacher, Sifelani Tonje, the girls’ rendition of a poem on national hero Ndabaningi Sithole included the naming of his children in accordance with the spirit of freedom of the time.
Chipinge has produced another poet of note — Flight Rufaro Mlambo — whom the girls alluded to in their poetry presentation.
She is hewn from the same tree.
Flight’s recitation of the poem ”Purutanayi” took the social media by storm and it is her parents who put her through her paces until she was snapped up by Kirkman Primary School in Harare where she is now learning.
It would have been awe inspiring to have witnessed the trio in a group presentation as they welcomed the conferment of hero status on Rev Sithole, who inspired a generation and would have remained in the dust bin of patriotic history had President Mnangagwa not corrected a historical wrong and injustice.
Flight’s father Airman Mlambo said: “She is 10. Way back when she was in contact with Takesure Taringana’s Ndau poem, ‘Purutanayi,’ she showed an amazing ability to perform. Having listened to her powerful rendition, we as parents decided to nurture her talent. We prepared Ndau and English poems for her to present at different occasions. She did her ECD A to Grade 1 at Mount Selinda School before transferring to Kirkman School in Harare.’
Flight, just like Tariro, is passionate about current issues.
She has appeared on ZBC TV and warned her fellow young children about the bad side of drugs, child trafficking, Covid-19 and other burning issues.
And now the young Ndau poets are speaking. Ndau is one of the 16 official languages in Zimbabwe and a language is a vehicle of culture.
The three young girls are doing their best to keep the Ndau language alive.
Philip Kusasa is the director of Paiyepo, which brings the people to Bangira village for a Ndau cultural festival mostly in October.
He said the girls were some of the people who make the cultural bomb continue to tick positively.
”The three girls have a good future,” he said.
“If they remain grounded, they are going to remain excellent ambassadors of the language. The Government is doing well in showcasing their talent for the world to see.”
Government allows diversity of culture and this is in tandem with President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
Online Reporter