Family reunites after 34 years

Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
FAMILY members who separated 34 years ago have been reunited, thanks to a Chronicle article profiling a rhumba musician which appeared in the paper last month.

The article headlined: Life Begins at 40 . . . Nswabanda ready to take on music industry, which was published on January 30 has seemingly played the role of the popular South African’s SABC1 show Khumbul’ Ekhaya which unites lost families.

The article profiled a 55-year-old Zimbabwean rhumba musician now based in South Africa Mr Josiah Nswabanda Nkomo.

It turned out that the musician’s nephew, Mr Zwelethu Nkiwane (47) who lives and works in Bulawayo was attracted by the headline while reading Chronicle online.

Mr Nkiwane and his mother, Mrs Susan Nkiwane (67) had long believed that Mr Nkomo had long died in 1997 following “strong rumours” to that effect.

Those death rumours even reached Mr Nkomo who as a musician resorted to addressing them through a song dismissing the falsehood.

In the intervening years, Mrs Nkiwane who lives in Esigodini kept on regretting failing to travel for her brother’s “burial” to his rural home in Ndolwane, Plumtree due to financial challenges, until her son read the Chronicle story on the rhumba musician.

Her son then reached out to Chronicle and was put in touch with Mr Nkomo and the family is now planning a major family reunion once lockdown travel restrictions are lifted.

“It was around 5AM when I read the Chronicle online. As I was reading, I got captivated by the headline of that story: Life Begins at 40 . . . Nswabanda ready to take on music industry. It was a shock for me because I knew my uncle (Nswabanda) as dead. I thought that maybe someone had inherited his name and music but as I read further it became clear to me that he was alive,” said Mr Nkiwane.

He said when day broke, the first thing he did was to contact his mother who lives in Nswazi Village, Esigodini to break the wonderful news.

Mr Nkiwane said his doubtful mother just said: “Awuu kambe?” (Can this really be true?).

He said his mother said she would only believe when they get more details from the Chronicle reporter who wrote the story.

“I work out of town most of the time and coming to Chronicle was a bit of a challenge. My mother kept asking and pushing me to come to the Chronicle to speak to the reporter who wrote the story. I then managed to get the details I wanted and we reached out to Nswabanda who too was shocked to know that his sister was still alive,” said Mr Nkiwane.

The brother and sister last saw each other in 1987 in Nkulumane suburb at Mrs Nkiwane’s house and at that time Mr Nkomo was already composing and singing some songs.

When she sold her house, she moved to Esigodini while her brother returned to his rural home in Ndolwane, Plumtree, before relocating to South Africa. Then 1997 came with the death rumours which his sister believed.

“I am the first born in a family of seven siblings although I do not share the same father with my siblings. I stayed with some of my brothers here in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb including Nswabanda. I later sold the house and moved to Esigodini through marriage and lost contact with them in 1987,” she said.

Mrs Nkiwane said what shocked her most was that she believed her brother was dead after picking strong rumours about his death.

She said she got the news of his brother’s “death” in 1997 and was troubled on what to do as she could not confirm with the other siblings whom she also had lost contact with.

Mrs Nkiwane said she had not visited their rural home in Plumtree and failed to go there to verify the death allegations due to financial problems.

“This has been troubling me for years that my brother died and I did not pay my respects or even see where he is buried. I was facing problems so I could not travel to our rural area in Ndolwane to meet other family members because it has been a long time since I last saw them,” she said.

“When my mother went to be married to my siblings’ father, I remained at my father’s place in Ngwana Village in Bulilima District far from Ndolwane area where my mother was married at. My communication was more with my paternal side over the years after losing touch with my siblings. Through Nswabanda’s story I have also connected with two other siblings who are in South Africa and their families, unfortunately two of them died during our separation.”

Mrs Nkiwane said she did not even know that all her remaining siblings including Nswabanda were in South Africa.

“I am so grateful for what you did for me. You might have been doing your job but in the process, you have linked me to my family and soon we will be meeting after so many years,” she said.

Reached for comment, Mr Nkomo expressed happiness for being united with his sister.

“I am very happy to finally connect with my sister. I hope to meet her soon so that we address our family issues. It has been a very long time since I last saw her. Thank you for publishing my story. I really did not know that beside promoting me as a musician it was also going to play such an important role in my family’s reunion,” he said.

Mr Nkomo said it was unfortunate that he reconnected with his sister after their mother passed away last year and she was not aware of it.

He composed a song entitled Impilo yami in his last album to dismiss the rumours of his death.

“This is my life and I am alone. Rumour mongers had said I am dead. Some said I was axed to death in South Africa while others said I was killed for sleeping with someone’s wife. I know my absence affected many people but here I am…,” goes the song.

Another brother to Mrs Nkiwane, Mr Howard Nkomo (53) said he is very excited to finally link up with his sister.

“We are so happy and very grateful for publishing my brother’s story. We have connected as a family. After talking to my sister, I have discovered that my nephews have been staying near where I stay in South Africa but I did not know them. Beside Nswabanda, there is the last born in our family, Mr Charles Nkomo (48) who has also linked up with our sister. But another brother, Mr Daniel Nkomo is missing and is rumoured to be in Pretoria though we can’t locate him,” he said.

He said they knew that their only remaining sister was in Esigodini but did not know where exactly. They are now making preparations for a big family re-union once Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted. — @themkhust