Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka, Senior Political Reporter
TWENTY-SIX years after his passing on, the spirit of the late veteran nationalist and Vice-President, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, is set to loom large over his home district as the nation descends on Maphisa Town in Matobo District for the 46th Independence Day celebrations.
The celebrations, being held in Matobo District, Matabeleland South Province for the first time, mark a historic “homecoming” for the man affectionately known as Father Zimbabwe.
The milestone is being punctuated by the near completion of two landmark projects: the Nyongolo Guesthouse at the Nkomo ancestral homestead and the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Vocational Training Centre.
In an exclusive interview with Zimpapers, Mr Edward Ginqusaba Nkomo — the only surviving brother of the late icon — paid a glowing tribute to the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa for “breathing life” into the visionary leader’s lifelong dreams.
He expressed profound gratitude for the projects, which he says transitioned his brother’s legacy from history books into living, breathing institutions.
“The family is profoundly grateful for this symbolic and practical gesture by the President. It is a clear demonstration of the Second Republic’s commitment to honouring our national heroes not just with words, but with tangible development,” Mr Nkomo said.
He further expressed that the family felt recognised and respected by the President’s decision to decentralise the 46th Independence celebrations to Maphisa.
“We believe in collective empowerment — not just for the family, but for all the people of Matobo and the province at large.
“By bringing these projects and this national milestone to our doorstep, the President has shown that no place and no person is being left behind. Our village will never be the same again; it has been set on a path of permanent transformation, and for that, we owe a debt of thanks to the Government’s vision,” said Mr Nkomo, a veteran educationist.
Central to the legacy being celebrated in Maphisa is Dr Nkomo’s peerless role as a unifier.
Known by the moniker Chibwechitedza (the slippery rock), he was the glue that held the liberation movements together and the visionary who prioritised peace over political ambition.
“Dr Nkomo always spoke about the land and the unity of its people,” Mr Nkomo reflected.
“To him, independence was not just about a flag; it was about a united people working toward a common goal.”
His role as a unifier was most notably cemented through the 1987 Unity Accord, a masterstroke of statesmanship that brought an end to the internal conflict and birthed a unified Zanu-PF.
By choosing the path of reconciliation, Dr Nkomo earned his title as the “Father of the Nation,” ensuring that the fruits of 1980 reached every corner of the country regardless of tribe or region.
For the Nkomo family, the construction of the Nyongolo Guesthouse is the resurrection of a family legacy that nurtured these values of inclusivity.
“The building of the Nyongolo Guesthouse is a great symbolic gesture for the Nyongolo family,” Mr Nkomo said.
“I am sure my brother Joshua would have been proud to see his father’s old homestead revived. I believe he had always wished for this place to be restored.”
For many, Dr Nkomo exists in the pages of history books as Umdala Wethu.
However, Mr Nkomo believes the new structures move the legacy from the abstract into the tangible.
He noted that the guesthouse offers a window into the private life of a man who treated every Zimbabwean as his own child.
While primarily a family space, the guesthouse serves as a portal into the life of the patriarch, Nyongolo Thomas Letswaniso Nkomo, who raised two formidable nationalists in Joshua and Steven Sihambile “Jeqe” Nkomo.”
“It is an opportunity to have a glimpse at the collective, communal, and entrepreneurial life of our father,” Mr Nkomo explained.
“He was a farmer, teacher, preacher, and entrepreneur who even opened a restaurant in those early colonial days. These values of hard work are what built Dr Nkomo.”
The late Dr Nkomo was also a fierce proponent of rural industrialisation, a vision famously encapsulated in his 1980 publication, A New Zimbabwe. Mr Nkomo believes the new Vocational Training Centre (VTC) is the physical manifestation of that dream.
“The vocational centre epitomises my late brother’s vision of economic empowerment and rural transformation.
“It was his dream through initiatives such as the Esigodini tomato processing plant . . . that such projects be unveiled for our young people.”
“It was also his dream to see young people, women, and the less privileged accessing not just services, but skills to bring about economic transformation,” Mr Nkomo explained.
He emphasised that the VTC is designed to equip the youth with the “mental software” to change their lives.
“It was his vision to see young people, women, and the less privileged accessing not just services, but skills to bring about economic transformation in rural areas.
“I hope students who are going to be enrolled at the college will espouse his principles of self-reliance, innovation, and his ‘Think Big’ maxim.”
As the nation prepares for the 18 April festivities, the shift of the main celebrations to Maphisa is being seen as a victory for the Government’s devolution agenda — a cause Dr Nkomo championed as a way to unite the periphery with the centre.
“Dr Nkomo always spoke about land and the importance of people owning and controlling the means of production.
“Indeed, devolution and decentralisation were dear to him,” Mr Nkomo said.
“Celebrating Independence at Maphisa is the fulfilment of his desire for the people to be at the centre of all national processes.”
The construction projects have already begun bearing fruit, with hundreds of local youths employed during the ongoing building phase.
Mr Nkomo believes this is just the beginning of a total transformation for Nyongolo Village and the wider Matabeleland South Province.
When asked what Umdala Wethu would say to the youth if he were alive today, Mr Nkomo was clear:
“Dr Nkomo would have told the young people of Mat South to be masters of their own destinies.
“He would tell them not to sit back and watch things happen, but to make things happen.”
As the family prepares to welcome the Presidency and the nation to their ancestral home, Mr Nkomo extended a final note of thanks to the Government.
“We thank the President and the Second Republic for ensuring that my brother’s vision for a developed, industrialised rural Zimbabwe is finally becoming a reality. It is a great honour for our family and the nation.”
Bongani Ndlovu