Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
IN Bulawayo, Gcina Warabile Mhlanga stands as a key figure in the city’s cultural landscape, carrying a name long associated with artistic excellence.
As the eldest daughter of the late playwright and arts stalwart Cont Mhlanga, her journey has inevitably been shaped by his towering legacy. Yet, in a candid conversation, Gcina offered rare insights into the man behind the legend, while reflecting on the challenges and strength required to forge her own identity.
While Cont is widely remembered as the visionary founder of Amakhosi Cultural Centre, a 2015 Prince Claus Award laureate, and the creator of celebrated productions such as The Good President, Gcina revealed a lesser-known side of him.
“Cultural as he may have been, one thing that people didn’t know about my dad was that he was a good baker. He once made us very nice blue cupcakes and loved the kitchen,” she said.
Alongside these warm memories came a lesson that would shape her outlook on the arts sector.
“Ubaba used to say, ‘Umsebenzi lo awulasbongo’, meaning ‘this work doesn’t give praise’. With time I understood that people will always have opinions and may criticise before appreciating. That prepared me for the realities of the industry.”
This understanding has become an anchor for Gcina as she has built her own path. She acknowledges the weight of being viewed primarily as “Cont’s daughter”, but is clear about standing as her own person.
Gcina has crafted an impressive career in her own right as an arts administrator, cultural strategist, and governance and development specialist committed to revitalising Zimbabwe’s creative sector. Her impact is most visible at Amakhosi Cultural Centre, the institution her father founded in 1982, first as a karate club and later a renowned performing arts hub. Serving as arts administrator, she has been central to its revival after a period of near-closure, restoring its role as a space for artistic expression, skills development, and youth empowerment.
She also serves as Trustee and chairperson of the Amakhosi Foundation Trust, guiding programmes such as the Amateur Arts Development Programme, which continues the centre’s long-standing tradition of nurturing emerging talent.
Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies, Gcina applies her expertise in policy, sustainable project design, advocacy, and evaluation to strengthen the arts sector and its institutional structures.
Her leadership extends to her role as a board member of Fair Talk Communications, where she chairs the programming committee across its two radio stations, contributing to strategic planning and content governance.
Her mission is to build sustainable systems that unify creative communities, improve policy implementation, and reinforce the arts as a viable contributor to social and economic development.
While the scent of her father’s baking may remain a cherished personal memory, Gcina is ensuring that the creative flame he sparked at Amakhosi continues to burn.
She honours Cont’s legacy not by standing in his shadow, but by carrying the work forward with purpose, clarity and vision, ensuring the arts remain a living, growing force in Zimbabwe. – Follow on X @MbuleloMpofu
