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Micheal Mhlanga
Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo kaNkomo is more than a person. He is an idea. The person of Umdala Wethu rested on that fateful day of the mid-year in 1999, but even before then, his birth in a small village in Kezi, Matabeleland South was the nativity of an impressionable idea.
Little did his parents know that the blessing thrust upon them was nurturing and grooming of an idea which was going to save and serve the black human race from its bondage in the musk of oppression financed by theft of our culture, land and ripping of our human dignity.
I would not want to delve into the history of who Nkomo was because I think it’s exhaustively boring to tell you all of what you already know — probably better than I do. All I can say is that he revived the lost battle of the 1890s, restored it with more militant artillery which was made up of a white education infused with black consciousness.
It is Nkomo who struck the flame of obliterating a “pink” system with only one weapon — his mind. A movement was born and was called the Joshua Nkomo Youth Movement (JNYM). I sigh in jubilation, spiced with a smile sprinkled with proud sundaes at how young people want to preserve our liberation through immortalising Umdala — this is what we need — a culturally riotous youth ready to disentangle foreign prescriptions of who is an African hero or not. We make and cherish our own — like they cherish and imposed on us their own — a Nazarene.
#JNYM100
Like anything else curated by young people, twitter’s influence has not spared the idea of Nkomo. Thursday marked a century of the existence of a perpetual idea. Young people were invited to the “high cultured” — yet now far from it — glamorous Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo. For many who suffer from subluminal bullying, Rainbow Hotel is no longer as “rainbow” as it used to be, it’s an onomatopoeic in the least description.
The youth symposium ran a hashtag “#JNYM100” to resonate and connect Umdala with the twimbos who flooded the venue not because it was at a perceived enchanting space, but because it was about Nkomo and the panel of speakers dubbed to deliver lectures on the meaning of Nkomoism (a behaviour pattern exuded by one influenced by the lifestyle of Joshua). The Youth Movement has affirmed the ideology by knitting public lecture series and events designed to keep the spirit of Umdala roving among us — such a noble idea, wouldn’t you agree? It was a successful event I should admit and I was elated by the turnout, sponsorship and most importantly the speakers whom I think, most did not live up to the billing of what a symposium is and what Nkomoism is or should be.
Mantate Mlotshwa: She is the revolution
Definitely the only youth on the panel, barely 20 years old, the former Evelyn and 2015 Founders High Deputy head girl is the only speaker who responded and resonated with the symposium. I must say, these days it’s like the younger they get, the more brilliant they become. Her talk was on the definition and perception of Nkomo by young women. She depicted Nkomo as an idea which demolishes barricades of race, tribal and gender opportunities. Her introduction was more relevant as she alluded to the vocal competition by the delegates during the singing of the national anthem.
It’s no surprise in such gatherings when a people want to ascertain and affirm their identity through language dominance.
The National Anthem’s first stanza was started in Shona with the intention of making the second, Ndebele and the last English, but it became evident that the Ndebele speakers in the room were determined to drown any other language but theirs. It is the very young speaker who denounced such acts by locating Umdala as a national icon who should not be affirmatively appropriated using cultural nationalism as Gatsheni and Willem (2009) would say.
Her rendition of Umdala confirmed how the young generation should define Nkomoism, (a concept which I think is still less appreciated even by the Youth Movement as they only display peripheral appreciation of scholarship available on the subject and the human of Umdala) as a tool which divorces us from cultural intolerance through importation of archaic animosities harboured by our oldies. Mantate’s speech, as evidenced by her eloquence which kept on inviting applauds commemorated how Nkomoism should unveil opportunities for young women in a space which is subluminally patriarchal, with existing systems viewing young girls as incompetent champions of any struggle. Strikingly was her speech that I remembered how brilliant she was as a high school debat to the point of becoming a continental champion in 2015. She is and was a beast of the podium.
The idea of Nkomo and financial systems in Africa
I had to revisit The Story of My Life by Joshua Nkomo for the umpteenth time to reconnect Umdala’s financing of the war of liberation and how the bank played a role in liberating us. I found none unless it was an underground job. Nevertheless I was excited by how Nkomoism is being linked to financial liberation of the African. I was certain that when Dr Sipho Moyo who is the Chief of Staff and Cabinet in the Office of the President of the African Development Bank speak, she would connect our liberation struggle as championed by Nkomo to how the bank, especially huge financial institutions played a role. I was also keen to hear how Nkomoism would be a financial liberation tool to multitudes of suffering Zimbabwean youth but alas, she had reserved that for the Gwanda Public lecture so she did not want to spew and “exhaust” her lecture points — doctor!! Kanti labo bayaphelelwa? (they also run out of ideas?).
Anyway, I am happy that a Zimbabwean holds such a position at that level, in fact, Dr. S Moyo is a well accomplished woman who proves that women can and are breaking the strand of male oppression and if well invested in through education, they can hold key positions in the world. She is an emblem to young women who endeavour to be influential in the world. From being at the helm of another influential organisation — the ONE Campaign for 18 years after graduating from Howard University in the United States she is a Zimbabwean residing in one of the most influential offices on earth.
I must say, I was not happy when she disclosed that she only read the book by Umdala the day before and it was her first time. I asked myself how she prepared for the public lecture when she had not interacted with the thoughts of the man she would celebrate through linking liberation history to contemporary finance? In as much as I respect the Dr from her works she has both written and executed, I think not having read the masterpiece biography is like someone who hasn’t read Matigari, Mpho’s search, Umendo or Awu Bakithi. These are a must read and I keep on wondering how the Dr was preparing all along.
It’s not Karanga Time, said the Minister
“It’s not Karanga time, it’s not Zezuru time, it’s not whatever tribe time . . . it has always been Zimbabweans time” so said the minister. Honourable Patrick Zhuwao was there. Like any other time, with his charisma and sharpness he kept the lecture interesting, although divorced from what I think should have been. It became an exhibition of his ministry; that is good — but inappropriate for that space as it switched the symposium from a reflection on Umdala to a youth interface with the Minister, as if Mantate, Dr Moyo and Sir Justice were not there. After his well designed PowerPoint presentation about the ministry’s policy it seems he had snubbed the blistered toes of Bulawayo Youths.
Contrary to what Mehluli Moyo, the Chairman of the Youth Movement said “It is not a political gathering and we should attempt to ignore politics today” political “cards” were raised ranging from who accesses youth funds, why are youth programmes only available towards elections? Why is the minister in Bulawayo on rare occasions and all sorts of common questions which have become a trademark in Bulawayo even if they are irrelevant to the meeting they always force in and we find ourselves engaging on them even if we didn’t want to.
Minister Zhuwao was calm and ready to respond to each and every, even event inappropriate questions. He confirmed that for the past four weeks he has been in Bulawayo — that was a shame to whoever asked who assumes that if the minister in around everyone should meet him. He cleared the air on the CABS Youth Fund stating that it was CABS money not Government’s. He also set the record straight that the ZimCHEER programme was designed with some of Bulawayo’s brilliant young minds such as Andile Songo. I applaud him for that — good and appropriate responses — only that his frankness did not go down well with one young lady who felt that the minister’s honest response was a bit slouchy — to which Minister Zhuwao apologised to. This is common — truth is like poetry; people hate poetry.
Be that as it may, all hail to Umdala. Long live his idea. People should be relevant in such spaces. People should prepare appropriately. —@mhlanga_micheal
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